Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-03-23
A RABBIT DRIVE.
WAR ON THE PESTS EVERY YEAR
IN CALIFORNIA.

Farmers Forced to XIII Them to Pro.
tect Their Crops How a Drive is
Conducted.
The valleys of Central and Southern
California swarm with jack rabbits For
years they proved themselves pest of
the worst kind to farmers. They rooted
over the grain fields. and DESTROYED
young grape vines and fruit trees by
girdling them near the ground with
their sharp teeth All sorts of schemes
were resorted to for the humiliation of
these creatures, but in spite of the poi
soned bats and the traps prepared for
them, they increased in numbers until
they threatened to destroy every crop of
grain that was planted, and every vine
and tree that was set out.
Five years ago the farmers of Fresno
County resolved to rid the county of
some OF the animals, and they planned a
rabbit drive. On a certain day the grain
and fruit growers for miles around as
sembled In the fields at the southeast of
France. The country was virtually de-
serted, and the ranks of the farmers were
strengthened by men, women and chill
dren from the town who made sport of
what the farmers considered business.
First, a corral was built of wire fencing
about four feet wide. This Enclosure
surrounding about an acre of land, and
In form representing Bartlett pear split
lengthwise. The entrance was at the
small end. Running out from each side
OF this gateway were wings of wire
tenclng extending nearly quarter of a
mile each way. From the extremities of
these wings the people were arranged in
line, spreading out as far into the field as
their number would permit without
breaking the rank, until they formed a
living circle around tract of land twenty
acres in extent.
The women and children were placed
nearest the fences, for in the field active
work was to be done. When the line
was completed and all things were in
readiness, the leader of the drive gave
the signal, and, yelling at the top of
their lungs and beating the ground with
clubs, the line closed slowly in.
When the advance toward the corral
began, now and then the drivers, at some
point in the line, would be aroused to q
degree of enthusiasm that seemed almost
manical by a light brown hump
that rose from the ground and stretched
itself into dim streak that momentarily
heightened toward the opposite line of
drivers. That was jack rabbit, started
from his lair AS the lines of men drew
near each other the brown streaks
doubled rapidlyon themselves, and finally
began to zig-zag wildly across the in
closure, as the frightened, long cared
creatures ran hither and thither in search
of an opening through which they might
escape.
Gradually the animals were driven to-
ward the corral until finally the last one
was in the Enclosure, which was an I'M
dulating mass of hopping and skipping
Dummies completely at the mercy of their
enemies. As many of the men and boys
as cared to do so entered the Enclosure,
and with clubs slew the rabbits, sharp
crack on the skull being all that was
necessary to put a permanent quietus on
the animals. In about four hours time
upward of 10000 rabbits were killed.
The undertaking was voted complete
success by the farmers, and from that
day the rabbit drive has been an estab-
lished thing in Southern and Central
California.
The most exciting and successful rab-
bit drive ever held came off on the 10th
of March, 1892, near Fresno. 1t was
the last day of encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic, which was being
held in that city. A crowd of people
numbering 5000, including war veterans
and visitors to the encampment, cncir-
cled a vast territory. 1t was disastrous
day for rabbits, and also for good
many of the drivers who, after the fun
was over, had picturesque assortment
of bumps and bruises to exhibit,
as result of wreckless use of the clubs.
An immense corral was built and after
few hours of enthusiastic labor it was
literally alive with rabbits Twenty
thousand is the estimate of the number
OF animals killed on that occasion The
ground within the wire fence was heaped
with the carcasses of the dead creatures.
The months of March and April are
the ones in which the farmers are the
most anxious to exterminate the rabbits,
for in May and June, and in fact
through all the summer months, they
propagate and multiply at an alarming
rate. The farmer reckons that every
rabbit that he kills in March and Apri
prevents the birth of fifty of its kind.
In the vineyards and orchards the rab.
bits are especially destructive. In tn,
former, the animal watches for the burst
ing forth of the green shoot that, if al
lowed to grow, would, in July and Aug