CURE FOR THE RABBIT PEST.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 240, 4 February 1888, Page 8

CURE FOR THE RABBIT PEST.

T3:i;>er tho above heading we have received the following as the latest suggestion on the rabbit -plague question:— A farmer in the province of Wellington has found the olio wing method efficacious : — '.Having procured a few young pigs he shuts them up in an enclosure large enough to allow of his moving in and out amongst them. He feeda them rather sparingly with his own hands and they soon begin to know him. By and by he allows them to get out oc oasionally, and he contrives to drop a scrap of meat in their way so that in a very short time fclny follow him wherever he goes. He has thus no difficulty in leading them to where the rabbits burrow. Before taking tbom to tho burrows for the first time he ascertains whore young rabbits are to befoundand digs to within about six inches of them. He then gets hold of one of the young pigs and places a small rabbit in its mouth, leaving it at the mouth of the hole. It very soon ascertains that there is more of this savoury food within reach, and it immediately sets to work with its snout to upturn the earth and it devours the lot greedily, At the next hole he leaves more work for the pig to do before it gets its reward. Very soon the pig look's out for holes on its own account ; and goes to work without aiaistai 00. The pig has a very keen scent and knows at once where young rabbits are to be found. Young sows are recommended, as when they come to be matrons they will teach their little ones how to earn their \wn living about a rabbit warren.— J. W.