Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-06-18
A Rabbit Pest.


California's rabbit nuisance is as
suming proportions and making pro-
gress which, according to the New
York Sun, most unpleasantly suggest
comparison with the actual plague of
rabbits that afflicts Australia; afilicts
it in a hopeless degree, according to
the latest reports of the various colon
ial governments. California has late
ly adopted some Australian methods
Of thinning out the rabbits, and ap-
parently with about the same limited
measure of success. In Australia the
attempt to exterminate them has been
gwen up, and every effort Is now d.
rected to confning the rabbits to GER
tain areas, or rather to keeping them
ont Of certain cultivated regions. Even
this entails enormous expense on the
governments and landowners. Is by no
means sure, and often is unsuccessful.
1t is stated that in one county alone
in California the loss to farmers from
rabbits and hares amounted last year
to fully 100000. Many experiments
with poison have been made, but the
farmers have about concluded that the
only thiugto DO is occasionally to thin
out the rabbits by holding big round
up hunts or drives 1t is estimated
that as a result Of l40 drives in Nll
held in California 356, 400 rabbits have
been killed. But the latest reports
say there is no appreciable diminution
in their numbers
Some years ago the government ot
New South Wales offered a reward of
$4,000 to any one who suggested
really efficient method of getting nd
of the rabbits. This offer stood open
for several wears, and more than 1000
schemes were offered, coming from all
parts of the world Many were tried,
but none was found to be wholly sats-
factory, and finally the offer was with
drawn. and the Australians tired to
make up their minds TO the inevitable
permaneuce of the pest Ferrets,
stoats and weasels were imported and
bred in thousands, and they have done
good work. Poisons of all sorts We're
tried with but little success Cats
were introduced, and they also did
good service. But the rabbits multi
ply at such an astounding rate that
they have much more than held their
own, and have spread into new regions,
destroying a large proportion Of all
crops wherever they have penetrated.
The government estimates that no
less than 37,75000O acres of land,
farming and grazing, in the colony Of
Victoria, is infested by rabbits.
Many schemes have been offered for
making use OF the rabbits commercial
", and thus recouping at least little
Of the loss they cause Many thous-
ands are killed aud their skins used,
and something Of trade has been
built mp in the shipment Of rabbits to
England and elsewhere for food, either
canned or frozen. But the world can I
live on rabbit meat, and il would need
to in order to afford TO the Australians
a profitable way Of making use Of their
rabbits. The skins are largely used
for many purposes. One concern IN
Victoria uses 374,000 rabbit skins
every year. and in the last seventeen
wears about G8,OOO,OO0 skins have
been exported from Victoria.
There have been intercolonial con-
ferences, attended by representatives,
of the various governments and dele
gates from the agricultural societies,
at which every phase Of the question
has been considered The final de-
cision seems to be that determination
is impossible, and that the most eiiec-
tual way Of dealing with the evil IL in
building long fences Of rabbit-proof
netting TO keep the animals out OF
areas not yet infested, to cut them Oft
from food supplies and also to get
them together az much as possible 20
that they can be raided by means Of
drives.
Some Of the fences are hundreds Of
miles long. J0ne starts at BarringuD,
on the Queensland border, follows the
Main Trunk line from Bourke, and
ends at Corowa, extending in an un-
broken line for 407 miles. There il
another such fence along the entire
western boundary Of New South Wales,
346 miles long. But even this heroic
remedy Is not unfailing The fences
are liable TO break down, especially
in times of food, and particularly
where they cross rivers and creeks.
1t is impossible TO keep. the fences
under complete and constant super
vision in order that breaks may be re-