The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1900-08-31
BELGIAN HARES.
AN INyEsTIG ALTON TO DISCOVER If
THEY ARE A MENANCE TO AGRI-
CULTURAL INTERESTS.

The Belgian hare is the subject OF
an investigation which DR.. L. >
Palmer. assistant chief Of the biology
cal survey in the department OF agrl'
culture. has undertaken, with IL view
10 discovering whether its wholesale
importation and propagation does not
involve IA grave danger to our fruit
growing and kindred interests. In
California aud other States of the far
West, the jack.rabbit has long been
regarded as II pest, and in Australia
and New Zealand a wild rabbit mao
proved most destructive. These facts
convey Il warning which Secretary
Wilson believes we should heed.
BEFORE 1854 rabbits were unknown
in Australia. In that year the pro-
pr,etor of Barwon park, near Victoria,
introduced few specimens of the
common rabbit of Europe. The AMI
mails we're turned loose, and little was
thought about them for fourteen
wears. At the end of that time they
had conquered the continent, They
had multiplied till, like the seed OF
4 braham, the offspring of the lirst
: half.dozen pair were as the SANDS OF
the sea. They ate everything that
was green, running the sheep ranches,
ynawinv the bark of fruit trees, ana
attacking garden vegetables and other
small crops. The injury wrought To
agriculture and herding interests was
} estimated at millions OF pounds
yearly.
Then the people awoke to the ne
ccssity of checking the scourge' un
der the stimulus of legislation IL
South Australia, Victoria, New Soutl
Wales, New Zealand, Queensland ant
Tasmania, a slaughter began in 1879
It spread till not less than l9'lS2.53
rabbts were destroyed in New Soutt
Wales alone in 1887. For twenty years
the Australian governments and th'
farmers have kept up il steady hgh
against the rabbits. Every manner o
) death. dealing has been tried, iron
wison TO "electrocution." Upto 1855
= the governments had expended NOR
It than $4,000, 900 in their efforts to eX
s. terminate the pest. Atone time Il re
ward of s25, 900 was offered for the bes
= practicable means Of killing the AM
e mai nv wholesale. and solutions Wer
+ proposed by 1456 persons. No one Sc
s. cured the prize. The only way tn
e Australians discovered for escapln
IL from the rabbit is to fence him ou'
:, Thousands OF dollars are spent ar
" nually on rabbt-proot fences.
-. The experience of this country wit
A. IT. the iack.rabbit is another bit OF ha
" rowing history. In the Wester
to States bounties are offered amour
n inv in some places to 5 cents u hea'
Kansas has paid more than soo,ooo
he rabbit bounties. In California 1t HI
ks been found necessary to organize reg
i'll lar rabbit drives in order to redu
no their number. In these drives, "a tro'
us of men, afoot and on horseback. SEQ
the country In an extended skirml
'te line. beating the brush and drivi'
on m the animals before them. and llna'
=, ~ into the wide mouth Of a corral ma
on NJ ,ivht wire fencing with V-shap
us. onening, Of which the two ends u
ct several miles apart. Then the col
nd gates are closed and the rabbits
ne heaten to death with clubs, AT
,sh Grand Army drive at Fresno VI
ng two years ago. 10000 rabbits w
Ike killed. In the San Joaquin valley
Is estimated that 100000 rabbits w
ers killed IN drives between 1883 and ls
us' - It has been observed that the "
M ;.s and the coyote have shown that u
,sh can be very useful tn man by XIII
son rabbits. and In many Western sta
ego H. hus been found best 40 take
bounty off the bigger beasts IN orr
pse- that they might heconc more aou
the ant and prey upon the smaller on
ant But we have not yet had recourse
this the Australian device Of inoculat
tish tho rabbits with measles Th's
neif . perilncnt WAS not wholly successful
s..s ~ the healthy animals showed ,an
,orc M willingness to take the siseasc, ,t
WIZ a. = tr,vc Co