The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-06-01
AUSTRALIANS RABBIT PLAGUE.

imported several pairs OF common rab-
bits from his own country and Get m
work breeding them in the interests of
Australian craftsmanship. Ills friends
and acquaintances applauded his public
spirit, and the people OF the colony re-
garded him as public benefactor. As
his stock OF the rabbits increased, fire.
quent requests for pair or two came to
him from all parts OF the country. In a
short time several dozens OF Australian
sportsmen were enlisted in the good cause
OF replenishing in this manner Australia's
falling supply Of game. They met with
such pre-eminent success that within
twelve years rabbits had become so nu-
merous as to be universally regarded as
public nuisance. The custom grew up
among the farmers and sheep owners Of
organizing rabbit drives, and q common
result was the killingIof from 5000 to TO-
600 OF the pestiferous animals in a single
day. The rabbits, nevertheless, went on
increasing at prodigious rate.
So destructive to pasturage and vege-
tation generally had they become in 1880,
and so universal was the complaint
against them that the Australian govern
ment passed IAN act to provide for the
suppression of rabbits" appointing bal
lifts whose duty it was TO destroy them
on crown lands, and to see that all walls,
brush piles and whatever of like nature
might afford them harborage were re-
moved. They were also empowered to
do likewise with all other lands at the
cost OF the occupants, provided the occu-
pants failed to do so. The killing OF GER
tain carnivorous wild animals, hitherto
considered an unquestioned evil, was
likewise made illegal on the ground that
they assisted in the determination Of the
pest. But the measures proved utterly
futile. A large unoccupied tract Of coun-
try, supposed to be their main breeding
ground was fenced off in 1888 by woven
wire fence 80 feet high. The bottom Of
this fence was buried to a depth OF six
inches so as to prevent burrowing under
1t. To stop jumping ont barbed wire
was stretched six inches above the top of
the fence. 1t required 1877 miles OF this
fencing, and two years later it was ex-
tended $50 miles further to cut off ingress
from another direction. That this ex-
pedient brought little relief appears in
the fact that in 1887 the government of
New South Wales offered reward Of
f25, 600 to any person who would devise
or suggest method or expedient for rid
ding the country OF rabbits. A commits
sion OF twelve from the several Australian
colonies was appointed to pass upon the
1,4o0 plans submitted and rejected every
one Of them.
Mr.. A1stin's weakness for English
rabbit hunting has cost Australia enor-
mously in public money expended in
fighting the pest, not to speak of the
enormous losses suffered by individuals
from its devastations. An official report
on the subject places the amount Of pub
lie money thus expended by Victoria,
New South Wales and South Australia
down to December, 1890, at nearly ga
100000, or s2o,00o,0o0. Private expendi.
lures IN the same direction must also have
been considerable. One gentleman SO
used $4,000 on his own plantation within
six months in destroying $4,000 rabbits.
1t is fair assumption that the residents
OF Australia. including Mr.. Austin, II he
is yet alive to witness the outcome of his
game breeding enterprise, regret that
they did not content themselves with
hunting kangaroos.