The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-22
THE RABBIT SCOURG L
HOW THE AUSTRALIANS TRY TO DEAL
WITH THIS PEST.

Fences Made OF Netting Over 400 Miles
Long Enormous Ccst of Fighting tho
PIaguc-Ii:lIions Uavo Econ Slaughtered
but Numbers Continue to Increase.
Then the New South Wales govern
mciIt, it will be Remembered, offered Il
reward Of G25, 0G0 to any person TT PEE
son; who could suggest Il really fiicirnt
method If getting rid e the pest; but,
although this liberal Offer led to the IT,
ccipt Of no fewer than 1000 schemes
from all parts Of the world, none 'f
them was regarded "a; satisfactory, and
the offer was withdrawn. The domestic
cat was introduced, and i'll e Tta!n linz
tied areas did much service. Puis"ns
were largely rcs0rtCd to, and fC1rcts,
stoats and wc&sols have been imported
III thousands into samo Cf the colonies
and have increased fast. Bat hitherto
the rabbits, owing to the rate at which
they multiply, have managed net Cniy
to hold their own, but to constantly
spread over new ground, carrying d
struction with thcm wherever they &.
In S@uth Australia, for instance, the
direct loss from the rabbits has been pat
down at G250, 600 per amman and tn"
indirect less at u similar amount. III
Victoria the actiy" operations fGf the
destruction Cf rabbits On crown lands
have been carried on by the {. .v"rnmc't
since 1850, and FROM that date t. the
middle Of 1891 y total Of HcdrfT zoo,
GEO had been spent by the state on that
object. As for the money spent IL phi
yatc individuals far the same pGrp,%y,
that is almost incalcul&bl2, but i may
he mentioned tha5 il che estate alone
upward of &l5, 900 have been expended
by the owner, with the vicw If clearing
his land Of the pest.
In the II years ending with 1853
nearly IS, 600, coo rabbit skins, valued
III g402. coo, were exported from Vic
tCria, without counting the large guam
titles used by hat manufacturers III the
Colony, one establishment alone using
81, 400 every year. Yet, n0tWithstand-
ing all this slaughter, the present in
tested area throughout the colony is cs-
timatcd by the chief inspector at no less
than 81, 100, eco acres. Adding to the
direct expenditure The darrcciations q
the grazing values Of tn" land, the less
to the colonies concerned amount to
millions Of pounds sterling.
The final outcome of royal commits
sions, Of international conferences and
Ct the testing Cf every practical mcthcd
of determination is that the most C1IC"-
tual method Of dealing with the evil IS
found to he the construction cf rabbit
proof netting, by means Cf which the
animals can be kept from areas not yet
infested, can &c shut off from food sup
plies, and can be mora cfTectually dealt
with locally.
The length IF some Ct these fences is
enormous. There is one starting at Bar
ringun, on the Queensland border, ard
following the Rain trunk line from
Enurlio to Ccrowa. Il distance Of 4U1
miles, ard there is another along the
entire western boundary Of New South
Wales, Il distance Il 3l6 miles. The
Queensland government, too, has erect
cd Il similar fence along Il CGnSidorabl"
portion Cf the northern boundary Cf
New South Wales, but the survey, 7
general If Queensland, in the rCEsor5 al
ready refCrTca t.. SAYS that tic rabbits
mast have come through the fence il
moIS and Gruvcs of imunt radio multi
tudC5 at some time, " and thus have g.
taSiished themselves in Queensland 4;
we'll
This, of course. is The weak point IL
regard to fGIcCS, which are IiuLlc to
Lrcak down iii places. mere especially
IL times Cf food and whore they cross
over creeks, while the kC, ping If con-
slant supervision over the fences, 50 hat
immediate repairs can be done w!i.lo
openings appear Is quite inIEacticahlo
whore the distances are 50 great. III
many Instances countless thousands I, +
rabbits have been seen Ca enc side Ct 2
fence dead or dying Ct starvation after
eating all the ;;vallablc food supplies
and lcapinG up at the fence III their AZ
tclnpts TO surlnoant it. One c&n mag ,Ec
how they wuald rush through III the
event Cf any opening app; airing and
how single break in The fence might
be the doom Of IL country nCt.lrcVivg.s-
l. infested.
There have been many Tr2jCct7fCr thc
commercial utilization Of the animals l,y
sending them over here il ordlr t. CON
tribute both II orr feed supplies AID IA
the cost If their own dnstructiu&, lat
hitherto the enterprise has Mt L;"ly,IT'
profitable, while some If the most con-
NEON. oI,th,,.:t; in fhr ct.1,i;,i tl,;,-';