Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25
GETTING. RID OF HER RABBITS.
How, Australia Is Nearing Victory IN
e.. Fight With Her Greatest Pest.


lii The early days of the convict set
tlement of which Australia. is the OUT
growth. some captain of the guard had
| a coveytof rabbits imported for breed
ing purposes. The Australian climate
proved acceptable 10 the rabbits, and
they were turned Out in the back gar
den for the amusement OF the children
of the colony. In a few years serious
inroads were made by the animals.
(which had by this time numbered hun
lreds, into the gardens of the penal
settlement, and it was decided that the
rabbits would have to he exterminated'
for the members of the colony de-
pended upon their daily supply of
green stuff grown in their gardens for
food.
Shares were set in the riddled gar
deps and every known means of cap
turing the animals was used, all ~
no effect The colenists armed with
guns and members of the penal set
Element managed to shoot a good.
many, but powder in those days was
| an expensive item @.s.e-s5zz
| As result of the united efforts :pn
behalf of the determination OF the
| pests the gardens We're more or less
leleared by being rabbit-proofrd with
| palisades and the rabbits finally dfiv-
en- out in the open country. in which
the colonists had little or no interest.
with the growth of the country and
lthe settlement of several of the outly-
ling districts the rabbits were forced
to find more congenial ground. having
| by this time eaten the best of the pas
turage available
Sheep farming in the early SOS was
an industry which was rapidly grow
| ing, and the majority of the sheep
farms We're moro or less inland. The
sheep growers did not pay much at
itention to few of the rabbits which
appeared among their pastures. a fact
which has been regretted by thou
sands of Australians in the business at
the present day. Soon the day of
reckoning for The sheep men came.
Serious inreads had been made into
the pasture lands and the rabbits had
extended themselves throughout all
the colonies. generally working their
way along the fertile coast line and
| thence to the interior.
Within the last 20 years il was
finally recognized that the rabbit was
the prime pest that Australia pos
sessed. Strong efforts were made TO
lexterminate the animals Water holes
| in dry regions were poisoned. But
this procedure did not do much good
| for the sheep would drink at these
places and die.
| As many as 5.000.090 rabbits have
| been found along one watcrhole. This
happened ON the Momba run when the
country was dry and a great thirst
| was on him" as the Australians
speak OF the rabbits The paths rab-
bits have made going down to drink
in the Darling river are in places two
| feet deep.
The government finally took hand
| in the matter and various schemes
were propounded but none was found
to be of practical use. Driven to
desperation the Legislative body of
each colony offered rewards for any
scheme which might prove to be prac-
ticable and appropriate.
Thousands of schemes were turned
| in To the government, none of which
was found suitable. one old lady
| sent IN to the department species OF
/ poison made at home with atdetailed
list of the properties of this wonder
full preparation. At the bottom o.
the instruction for using was written
a glowing eulogy Of the efficacy of the
connection, winding up with the start
| ling statement that a rabbit would
rather die than eat 1t.
Finally some one suggested to the
government the value of the rabbit as
a food and this set the elders OF the
| Legislative council thinking. Rabbit
was hardly eaten in Australia, but in
Europe it was esteemed a ~delicacy.
Why not kill rabbits in thousands and
ship them to Europe? About this time
some one invented a means of chilling
meat and shipping to long distances
Rabbit drives We're organized and soon
the scourges were made to pay back
to the country a small percentage in
money of the damage that they had
done.
| These rabbit drives now net "a reve-
nue. to Australia of over $4,000 900.
They are one of the sights of the coun
TRY, aud the mode OF procedure adopt
ed for the disposal of the rabbits Is an
object lesson. ~
In localitiesaa and runs where rabbits
are plentiful d stoekade is built GA pa
i bic OF accommodating millions OF the
a