A RUINOUS PEST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2370, 10 December 1908, Page 2

A RUINOUS PEST.

THE SPREAD OF'THE RABBIT

METHODS OF ERADICATION

(‘ ‘Dal go tv’s Review. ”)

The hand of man is, as a mile, rather inclined to introduce novelties into a new country, but, like a child playing with a dynamite cap, the results are often at variance with the intentions. When Captain Cook landed the first pigs in New Zealand lie could never have imagined that the progeny would become a pest; tlia. it would increase and multiply until sheepowners, dismayed at the loss °i young lambs, would let contracts ior the destruction of as many as 10,UUU at the low price of Is per tail, borne "stations paid at per snout, and when such was the ease very little ingenuity was required by the separate eonti actors to make both ends meet, in tact, reciprocity belonged even to those * a \Vas it ever estimated that the domestic dog would turn wild,won y am. smother sheep in large numbers and at ni"ht time make a lonely shepherd feel that he was safer indoors? New Zealand has had its lull, sliate of such pests, and the sheepfarmen. seem to have been the mam suiter ers. No sooner had the wild dog and pig troubles been dealt with than the sheep scab broke . out. I bis was «• ruinous visitation certainly, but it was to be followed by even worse, viz. the arrival of the rabbit. Here we bad an animal sociable in nature, Ins skin o. • Teat use. anil bis carcase a delicacy , prolific, but voracious and dcstnictV( . far in excess of any good derived from it. if the actual lorn could he assessed in figures, people would he astonished at the enonnou..

amount. , . With a view to testing then ca n t powers 'its compared with that of*, sheep.-' the result worked out (so c **M’Donald on Farming ) that live rabbits could consume as much as two sheep when hand fed,, but I think tn.n on ordinary pasture five to oue would be nearer the mark. Add to this the fact that new sown grass is tlieir cine liclicacv, and that they can rapidly sivecii the clover and English grasses off S 1 pastin', thus allowing weeds, rushes, and moss to increase it w 11. be readily understood from this tha cheep and rabbits cannot profitably be run together. Even after their clearance it takes years to replace thendamage. , AY hence and when they came na s often been discussed. An able article h v It. J. Wither in the “Red Funnel Magazine,” suggests Southland as the first rabbit colony. Be that a.s it may, the AYairarapa could not have been much later, for they vere tnakin" tlieir presence felt on the Opaki early in the seventies. Somewhere about IS6O the tame variety was introduced on to the White Rock station bv Mr. Richard Barton, but the attempt was unsuccessful ; they did not thrive. The liberation of the wild grey rabbit is usually credited to Mr? Carter, from whom Carterton takes its name. SPREAD OF THE PEST.

The rabbit might well saf. ns Caesar said, “ A r eni, vidi, vici.” In 1575 they were fairly numerous, and as a wave they spread until by 1880 they were at the utmost southern point ot the AYairarapa. and also almost to the Hawke’s Bav boundary at the north. There they met a netted boundary and were checked. On the east tliey gathered on the seashore in their millions: On the west the .snow-clad Ta ram a and over-rainy Forty-mile Bush held them back. They, however, followed the old coach road into the Hutt Valley, and there my earliest recollection commenced. Their reign there was short; they ran up against, the city sporting youth, who shoots on fight, anil digs when holed ; and with i hat-, tlm.-domestic cat., 'and a little poison, only a few remained. I had i wo years of enjoyable shooting while they* were thick, but now find it only a waste of time to carry a gun in that district.

In the AYairarapa, however, it was different. Big areas, with big scrub (latches, and watercourses with passages like the drives of a large mine, a fiorded them a ll the shelter tliev required ; anil they carried out the instructions, “keep your cradles filled,” until one station was credited with sending off more bales of rabbit skins than of wool (2400 to 3600 skins usually go to- a hale). PENALTY " FOR NON-DESTRUC-TION. It- was now high time to eradicate. An unearned increment lias arisen. Each occupier was held responsible for those rabbits which were on his property, and tlie law was called into force to compel effective steps being taken to 'clear the pest. The usual defence was that the rabbits had come from a neighbor, even though there might be a river between them. “Do rabbits swim?” asked tho prosecuting counsel. “Of course they do,” was tho reply. “Have you seen them?” again asked counsel. The owner was nonplussed, but replied, “Do rabbits breed?” “Of course they do,” said counsel. “Have yo 11 seen them?” lie- retaliated; and the Court smiled, but fined him £25. “Is it not a fact, Mr. A., that the rabbits have been coming into your kitchen?” another lawyer asked a well-known squatter. “Oh, no, they don’t now, for I’ve given the cook orders to put them into the pot.” Ho was also fined, although lie had done liia best in his own way, or rather throughl he had. HISTORY OF ERADICATION METHODS. - I have the means -at my disposal

for tracing one* run through from start to finish, .and from this readers, can readily judge the' bewilderment of those whose -efforts were meant to eradicate the pest-. The first items I find are in ISS2. when shot, powder, and forty bushels of wheat for laying as poison were ordered. The method used then to be. as follows: —To put, say lOOlbs of oafs or wheat into a barrel or box ; to boil five gallons of water And when boiling to add from eight to fourteen sticks of phosphorus (the latter is too strong) ; to then pour the water and dissolved sticks into the wheat and stir until ...mixed. . The fumes were deadly, and many poor fellow ruined his lungs and constitution as a result. About that date (1.882) ferrets were ulso asked for by the manager, and rabbit dogs,whose sole duty it was to chivvy rabbits—were brought on to the property (from twenty to thirty dogs made a pack). Six months -after f find a note of the fact that four rabbiters were on permanently at 20s per week and found, and Id per skin.

In July 1883, forty pairs of ferrets were liberated,, and finally a mob kept as studs, and from os to 10s per young ferret was pniil to the man in charge of them when it was old enough to be liberated. He did very well for himself, for lie was also given 20s per week and found,and fx! a skin for rabbits caught. It oaid to rear rabbits at that .figure, and the result was, in 1885, a Government notice to destroy rabbits, couched in ■he usual forceful terms, with dire nenalties threatened. The winter of this year saw poison thickly laid, and traps wore used to follow up the poison. ' .

In 1886 dogs were again tried to give the rabbits a “tip up” after the poison, .and incidentally once mfire have them into the rough and scrubby places. This lasted until 1887, vlien dogs were discarded and more poison decided on. About (bis time a •use of bladder fluke was discovered, but beyond a note of the occurrence no importance seems to have been ttachod to it.

In .Tilly, 1888, the rabbits were reported as taking the poison well, but viclently remained numerous, for at v public meeting held at Masterton •hiring February, 1880, it was decided to form the district into a

rabbit board and import stoats and weasels and other natural enemies of the rabbit. About his time, or perhaps a little later, imitation tried liberating cats, and on offering half-a-crown a cat secured on inmense number. Carterton was almost denuded, and many an old maid wondered where her “Betsv” had'gone to. They went oh to the land, and in the winter came off it again in such numbers that a man had to he specially kept to feed them. That attempt ended, as might have been anticipated, in catastrophe. In July, 1889, I find the l’cf.lowing report from a manager to his principal:—“l think the neighbours are beginning to realise the fact that they cannot keep both rabbits and sheep, and will therefore put on sufficientmen to keep their rabbits down. I would strongly advise you to keep your rabbiters at work until the end of September, then reduce to-three, and these should be kept constantly ■rt work. From poisoning 1888 until poisoning 18S9 the rabbiters here kill ccl 17,036 rabbits at- a first cost of £1.85 4s 6d. If tlic.sc had been al~ ■:owed ,to breed the death of a large number of sheep wouhl have been the result. AVhen the -rabbits are numerous everything seems to suffer ; -a lighter clip of wool, sheep in less saleable condition, a Smaller percentage of lambs, and of inferior quality.” On December 4, ISB9, thirty-six weasels and four stoat® were liberated, .and again in April twenty-four weasels and four stoats. In 1890 a BiAl was introduced into the House to amend the Rabbit Act and prevent the use of trails, ferrets, nets and snares, and -also to give the Chief Inspector a seat on the Rabbit Board. Evidently this was not passed. . In the next year it was trap and poison, then more dogs, and so on, until in 1895 the run was swarming.

CHANGED METHODS. About Hue ill to the property changed hands. “Afici,” said the rabbit, a nil so it had ; lmt now changed hands meant changed methods. Away went the dogs; a, race of rabbit had arisen that was too cunning and fleet-footed to get into the clutches of a halfstarved rabbit-jack. At a yelp iron a dog every rabbit scuttled away, until if it were not for “squats” you wouldn’t know there was a rabbit within -miles of you. Next year saw the last of trapping, anil the natural enemy now hunted with more confidence. By nature the doe is cautious and is not trapped as‘frequently as the buck, and 1 think a shortage of bucks assists to increase the fecundity of the rabbit. During the winters of 1895. 1896 and 1897 poisoned wheat and oats had been continued, hud at a distance of about every two paces, twenty grains -at a- time. The rabbits decreased to a certain level, hut there was no outlook of an effectual clearance by this method.

POISON MIXTURES. In the summers of 1894, 1895, 1596, a well-known brand of poison was tried, and at first proved a success. The earlier tins contained ,a more deadly poison Or combination of poisons than subsequently—in fact, fit the first a, rabbit was seldom found far from the bait. Luckily, a ■substi.tute had been found in phosphorised pollard. It was tried with success in the summer of 1897, and in 1898 a determined effort was made to, combat tho -pest. AVe plastered tho poison down wherever a bait could be laid, and the place became odoriferous, -and the water undrinkable

through dead rabbits. Nor did tha •beep escape. The previous winter ■bout 500 had been lost through Oats; pollard must have accounted for fully ..lie same number in 1898. After this loss we shifted all sheep for at least a fortnight -after poisoning their padlock. About the mixing much might be written. A good method is as follows: Secure fine pollard in preference to coarse (for kneading purposes). To prepare a final weight of 1001 b of poison, place 481 b of dry pollard in a box. capable of holding 2001 bif necessary; ha vo it watertight. In a bottle of water put four sticks of phosphorus and add a tablespoonful of carbonbisulphide, with which tho sticks will dissolve in a- few minutes. See that every particle is dissolved, .also put 241 b of brown sugar into half >a kerosene tin or discarded bucket. The sugar sweetens the iic-flard and keeps it moist in dry weather. Now add to the sugar tho dissolved phosphorus, which being at the bottom of the bottle when .upend-

ed will come out first. The less water following the better for the mixing, but it docs not matter much if you empty all the bottle into the sugar; if so you will he less likely to prematurely celebrate the sth of November. "Now stir until the sugar is dissolved in the liquid phosphorus; this will take perhaps two minutes. Next pour the contents into the box of pollard, stir and mix (with the hands if you like, there is no danger) until the pollard is permeated with the phosphorised sugar. You can _ then add what water you like until it becomes a- thick dough, the harder the better—-in fact sloppy dough is useless. -Make lumps sufficient to r-olii out (a bottle full of water makes a good roller) using dry pollard to prevent the dough adhering to the bottle of table on which the dough is rolled out. AYhon you have rolled

nut a piece to the diameter of half an inch in thickness, guillotine like trellis work with a. large doublehandled knife, and the baits, ready to be laid, will be in jujube shape. To mix the quantity given here .will take two hour® for two persons. S UCCESSFUL METHODS.

One man should lay about 101 b in a day ; he places one corner of a light spade in the ground on a likely feeding spot, and with a turn of the wrist he forms a pocket, into which the bait can be dropped out of a sheep’s reach.

A. (large bait may be only half eaten by a rabbit, and the remainder will bo left on the grass for sheep to pick up ; whereas with a small bait, grasshoppers arc ..apt to dislodge it and kick it out of its hole. Uniformity of size is therefore desirable when laying the poison -among sheep. This poison, so laid, proved most successful, it-was continued until 1903. iSineq then the rabbits have practically disappeared; weeks may pass and none he seen,' unless a day’s shoot- is organised; then half a dozen would be an average bag on a favorable locality.

INTRODUCTION OF DISEASE. “And has the poison done all this ?” people ask. AA’el.l, it certainly looks so, but perhaps not. Several people qualified to express an opinion aver that it was duo to a disease in 1902. About that time I secured several rabbits whose flesh was yellow and. their skin quite unfit for sale. Eabliliters have also advised me of their similar experience. Such diseases periodically appear among most animals, and it seems to be one of nature’s provisions that disease or natural enemies shall regulate and prevent over-population. The late Sir James Elector informed me that such was the case with tho Canadian rabbit, and that whenever they became numerous there, a total clearance might take -place in a year. He suggested that the kit-fox was the medium through which the disease was transmitted, -and that it would be quite feasible if the domestic cat or rabbit dog acted here in the same manner. The fluke discovered here in 1889 would require to jiass through the system of the medium, and hack into the rabbit through its pasture. In 1898,. ai non-g other steps taken, which the serious position was forcing on graziers, was the introduction of chicken cholera: this disease was remarkable for its sudden results. An imicuhitcd rabbit died within twelve hours of inoculation; the -death by proximity was, however, slower and not always effective. AYe nlaced seventeen rabbits in a hutch and inoculated several. At tho end of throe weeks two remained alive and -appeared healthy. AA'e also erected a netted fence round a rabbit warren and laid tho virus mixed with some pollard., At the. end of a fortnight no rabbits wero inside tho enclosure, and escape eras impossible. After this test we scattered it broadcast on the run, renewing tho supply of virus from tho blood and liver of an inocufiated rabbit. It may have done good, or may not, but as a drowning man will clutch at -a floating object, so did we, and somehow or other have come out on top. AV-hatcver may occur in years _to come, should they again arise in tlieir millions we can tackle tlie pest with confidence, knowing that it can bo eradicated. INCREASE IN -NUMBERS. There are comparatively more in sight this year than last, but then the fires have burnt all cover, anil tho satisfactory point is that they are only to be found in a few favored localities, and easily readied, provided the rabbit dog is relegated to the ‘lethoan chamber. _lf the rabbit is not driven, ho will not go into the rough places of hi's own accord, hut seems to prefer an open sunny place near the road, where he can see and be seen. Stoats and weasels are his -deadliest foes, and once his scent is picked up there is no escape. Rabbits appear to be great travellers. I have frequently found that tho feeding patch of a bacl locality is sometimes nearly liaif-a-mile from their daily haunts, and their visit is (made to it in the evening or early (morning. AVhen these patches are located they, should he -marked and kept supplied with poison whenever the rabbits -seem numerous, A large scope of country can often be«eleared in this way. In fact, it almost seems a waste to lay poison anywhere else ■uniless the rabbits are thick—say 50 or 100 to the acre; then it is quite safe to (lay the baits, anywhere with successful results.

The mam point about mixing and laying is that cleanliness is essential. Rabbits have ai strong aversion* to tobacco, and a little in the poison will quite put them off their dinner. It is therefore advisable to place about two drops of aniseed or oil of rhodium to cover any smell of human contamination, and at the same time it acts a a

an enticer. Who.it and oats meed not bo handled; they are laid'in the winter from a wooden spoon, or stick whittled out as such, to contain about twenty grains at a- time. Messy poisons are best laid from a poison tray affixed to a siiade. Tho main point to be considered in home mixing is to avoid ov<*r strength of phosphorus. I have frequently seen, -and especially so in frosty weather, that a strong mixing may lie for even four days before the rabbits will take it. Immediate results are necessary for effectiveness. AYhere rabbits are thick pollard can bo

sprinkled along any roadside or sheep track; llie latter makes a line laying ground. , , To deal with the rabbit question in its true light would need an abler and more versatile pen than mine ;buo I feel that, if anything herein could be treated as (to quote the Psalm of Life) “footsteps which perhaps another . . seeing may take heart ao-ain,” or that men who have borne the years of toil and worry, which rabbit country entails, can profit by our past mistakes, then I shall feel that the result of my effort is worthy of the object.