THE RABBIT NUISANCE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 8

THE RABBIT NUISANCE

TtEA&STJRING RLPORT

p-.-"'/Alarming:• reportshavo lately been in feficnrculation-;as "to increase of; rabbits fein :^Hawke's Bay and Toverty Bay ; : ; Diiring ( ; - January Mr. Jrßossi: p^Stock;; ; lnspect6r;; country ;in the; Hawke's B ay. disfridt/i owu: observa-; , tions," says Mr. Ross in his report, ."and v-'ofrpiy. officers, went' to! of;tho ! increase "was foundation ralways;,mak--for/the;; contingency;:, thatj ;haye : :; been-;sniall; local in-; ' ; <Vvhich .' is . in; ; any;.-in-Bffested'-district." r :r. e.j_"Most of the northern part of tho disll^tridt^'.'.h'o'''continues,' ."comes.', under -my. |)i,'f<)^^!ol)serTatioh. : . a .'report] pnj f by lnspectof vDr' Munro, -whose judgment: '■ and' .ability : are beyond' : ques- : fcfkotiiDnV^-r^v;:V '.'-'I " can • say >without .that, r.'there- has been an improvement in the |^: V ,JWoodvil 1 e J.district Vever* since I; some| four and;: a; half; years, ago. ,1; fff'fimAinform set-; /thatUheVdec^ fj ; VVitMnrthe^last';' 1 v that/there.- is ilnot'{. how ■ one rabbit rj/'for^everv'ihundred-.lth'ere^were ;then. .' ; : vs^lia£-there,;has^been "no/ general m-p^v:crease-in.this'district can'-bo'-provedj-as M ! l^have';already)'asserted, by the^brodiic-|H:tion-of 'oyerwhelmirig'eyidence;.'The-fight; fc(l ; on>tH'6nowi; country;/ has .'.pracucally.ibeen |r;r,'fpught,'"'ahd.'the';'grieyaiice. of. many ;i seems that -tliey'are' called upon -to'..pay xafei;;.^^hile 2 their properties • remain -,un-; eH.-infested. 1 '; ; ,.If ; they,-; are. not ; prepared.-'to' this amount of; ; insurance f.r^.'againsti^;tli^'inyasiph^bf'\the v of', economy' |ar&;tpeculiaK"> : ' | : :The' Migration ,of./ Rabbits.

as .to tlio of 'rab-' feObitsiiliV Ross considers-to .lie; greatly,'. ex- ; p : aggeratcd-• -When rabbits- appear quickt- - lyl.'iri.successive : coloniespi infe'sted. I firid it is safe';, to .■ assuino that beenv"as^ted;"/f; v ;v,;■ ■- E%s"^liarei'is;'Vfe\»ys,v'shong.'vpresump : extensiveriiigrationX.unv K 1 'country. ;AVhen X'infestatioh bel':. : ;coines complete:in any district,"migration j&: practically ceases. X;lt may boftaken-as a [■ li.ulo, . Vith tKe proverbial exception.that 'Ms/ ownf ' rabbits.-.. That thtfre ;'aro : certain pX; [localities: favoured •by rabbits,. ,'ahd; that, fe'iatjtract^tliimi 1 is'undoubted. vSuch;placea ; flffehould; really' belused;to assist';their |jyßti-udtion,; yWliicliiis.%ure if. the ..proper' £-Xmethod: is ' Whac basled manyto '.imagine'. tiint ;- rabbits. " have.;- becomo ® \fe; the/fact .that>'they.. are fffi fiess j shy; since' .trapping,':', .dogging ; ; ana iXl&Kooting f have beendiscontinued.XßyUlie werO;; scared!; into 'Vi-vateirour&esrahdravines," so Xthat'/few : tcould-.be seenl.XWhen-Jhis 'occurred,- 1 .the ■ ;< occupier ', considered the:^abbiter^'.^vith , 'his : p^l ; c l i: .'^his trap,: jX;X indjhK ; "gun,:ivis.^ |;'s'he! di&ppMred,'.the rabbits again began |X; : t^appearl".X" ~''XXX'■ : ;-XX.X. X'?;

f Some Recommendations Ko'V> :Xn';:roncludihg. ihis: leiigtby.'and ■ intere'str; j. "irig' : report, Mr. Ross says:—.' "; r/' '.'lt'-.is uMl^siforC^^bersXof >■?the Ji fct jj^tXt6v;passS,thrqu^ fe)dis(TictiwithouSi :; SMingi;:Tabbits,;:or:X-tp; p'iiin'agine ' that ' if - rabßitsV are- ■ of - the pro-, .vinco is thf&tened.;XFinally, I .am pre-, ( Xs'parfkl.'to 'advocatQ,' before .the board;! j Ey^"6reateKrare;'iiji- the.mixing.^^of'poison.'.l i- -"Keeping to the rccoghised 'recipe. |:X? : ';/jDisiidntihuing; experiments. that,, have: j- : long been proved-useless.; l ;:: : VXX;; 1 iXX ;;v r .r:;"Laying- prmcipally in:;SurainerJ';S'ilidrant}iinni- : by'adviceXof' [. Vtlie-'chief inspector.' p;C§X ofleaving :fabt'it9 :, 'in'' t-,Xquietuess.-;betwTOn. poisonings.; ,X fefeilAhd fas^littie ,^lnterCeraiico', 'ast--pfes[Dte.-'Xsettlersj 'who stock-; 1 :fof:'.'-ferrL-fHScrashihg.XXX:X!:X:.^XX:'-.-X;-X .:':\ :i ; '- fJf/si 'fTio ;.us3,;qf jny/mearis .by ; which coyer; - as.'beingl destroyed. should; bo encouraged, . pi:^6rXitVgreat)y.itends : ito:;the:jgoodi;otr province "i - - .- , 'In theWairarapa. > ;.X; -X"l n ' the- above,' the following PX ; : . e^r &otf\frpft: ': tlioX '"W.airarapa Daily, j/ Times"', interest:— -1-,;.- ■ fe;pXv'The :'couhtry is ,just Gwarming withl ■:;rabbits , ,'V:Tlrat / was.the'stat.Dment-madG X'farmerfroin -the ilasterton ''district. TJift led 'to .furtheri .iDquiries, -the ;;-'. :;trend fof .which gocs to show that-," the lvX!™bbits..;arei'as • thick,'-.-if not thickcr, :-tlian :'-W i/Have>.:beeii''iljefora.'''',/'FarmersI'X ™e. eaiie to'tell, v Tho rabP : to: an- alarming <:-x T ;-X: tent,; andythey are wondering how they fi>^\? 0 tjys%W e 4??P"rU:V6f'-tho\>towii they: are fe^?to?MriiMr6:^?'nsrially-' , i l iijneronß. bX"s>l^^S' Isfaotor y ; ::W ;hote ithat "inost. of thp^land^wnersj.;;,are, adopting: active re!Xa':P r ?SS've r measures,;and are'-ordering laree" K: ; i®uPEl> e s.XofXP°isonX;-:The-':'trouble, how- ?- T ? r ' .^PP, 6 to be ithat;concerted action' pv ■; -|