The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-20
TEE RAsa4rs or AUSTRALIA .

Melbourne, June About forty I
ye.Is aao a par Oh rabD.ts MAS brought /,
ID ALs.tana anu turned loose on a
Larni about nt1y InIies from hAeIoOdrne.
la an incredibly Snort Jlll-e tIley Inli-
Jlpi.ed 10 sLCn an extent Gnat ley be-
cane a pest. The rabbits spread IN
mIInons over the western anu hortn-
ern areas of Victoria. They invaded
New south Waves and pressed on. sthl
a thousand miles nortn-
WaIo INTO Queensland.
Tie Mes,ern Iart OF Victoria, once
called Australia Felix, embraces some
OF tie richest SOIL on EARN. Ii was a
paradise for the RABBITS. VINO soon
mace 1t a desert. The grass began 10
disappear. every green blade ana
shrub was swept away as by fire. The
settlers saw tier cattle and sheep
starving, but were helpless. The sub
stantial stone fences round the farms
we're harbors for the imported plague,
and they were reluctantly torn down,
Ware fencing, with rabbit-proof net
ting CARED well below the ground, was
substituted. Then this innocent Great
ute took 10 climbing the fences and
displayed marvellous symnastIc ability
n its endeavors to get at the crops.
All means of destroying the rabbits
proved tnedectUal. Shooting only serv-
ed to make them flourish, as it killed
out enough of the colonies TO leave
more food for the remainder. Dogs
and heaters were tried. Rabbit drives
were instituted. Thousands were kill
ed i'm every battue, but still the rabbits
Increased. Poisoned wheat served for
time. but led by instinct the rabbits
at last refused the doctored grain. Poi
soned carrots could not be resisted UNI
/ I'll wisdom again taught the rabbit that
/ to eat was TO die. Then nothing would
/ induce HIM to look at a carrot. Ar
senic and apples brought a like ex-
perience.
lie. despite their cunning instinct
and experience. the rabbits were slow
ly beaten back from point to point
Every hole and crevice that could cffeI
the least shelter was blocked up. The
wire-netted fences were constantly
guarded. Men and dogs. were every
where on the watch to hunt to 6eatf
every stray rabbit. So bitter was the
fight that the rabbit came to be re
garded with feelings of greater horror
than those with which the average
Australian now regards the buboni'
plague.
Beaten in the west, the rabbits in
vaded the north and northeast. Herr
they found a country suited to thei
habits. They increased and multil;lie'
until they came to hold men, dogs ant
guns in contempt. Sometimes tn
trains were delayed through having
run into hordes of the vermin. Des
pairing and beaten, the settlers invoke
, the aid of the State. Meanwhile tn
. rabbits had swept off to the Mall
! country. the home of the dingo and out
: lawed cattle. Its sandy soil and dry
warm climate suited the Dummies. The
ate il bare. 1t was possible to travt
hundreds of miles without seeing
blade of grass. Here they ruled a
r lords until Mr. Lascelles, one of tn
. owners of this tract, discovered that
y would grow wheat. He determined I
% do so.
% his first step was a crusade agains
y the rabbits. Inclosing an enormou
space with rabbit-proof and cattle
: proof netting, he began a war on III
rabbits that ended in their destruction
Poisoned water was one of his favorit
and most successful agents. All II
!. tanks AMI water holes in his. dry lar
!, are fenced like fortresses with II
strongest of wire MEETINGS and barb
The wild cattle, when summer hs
dried up the natural sources of suppl
drop dead around them in their frant
10 efforts to reach the precious water: Il
rabbits fall by thousands at the ba
D. of the impregnable barriers.
The poisoned troughs are then resor
ed to. and the number of rabbits de
troyed in this way is almost incredibly
From one colony to another the pc
spread. TIE most rigorous laws we
n reduced to reasonable limits. Now {
=, refrigerator and the preserving can a
a. in use. and the shipment of rabbits
England every year by these means h
or attained enormous proportions. La
year 3.421 .220 rabbits were shipped. r
In cash returns were ss41.475. A gre
rabbit Industry has been built up. a
VI where formerly the creature was
source Of loss and expense. 1t now {
fords a profitable business filling stoI
ard ships. feeding millions and III
"a, vidirg hats, rugs and cloaks for 9th
no millions.