The Wairarap Daily. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 842, 10 August 1881, Page 2

The Wairarap Daily. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1881.

We gave our readers, some time ago, tho report of the joint committee of both Houses on the rabbit nuisance, We have now before us the evidence on which it was founded. The first witness (Mr Fhazeh) occupies 70,000 acres in Otago, and lias had seven years' experience in destroying rabbits. He is mi advocate for poison, and for the Government administering the Act, He has on ]iis own run been killing from 80,000 to 160,000 rabbits per annuo). lis is satisfied that ferrets, if introduced in'sufficient numbers, would destroy the pest, The next witness—Mr Rises, of Galloway Station, Otngo—killed 180,000 rabbits last year. He thought that the polecat ferret would destroy lambs, ami that the white ferret would not injure them, but would not survive the. winter on the high grounds. Mr Jackson, of Stonestead, was then examined, His evidence went to show that lie had coped with the rabhit nuisance by means of a puck of dogs, It is, however, understood in this district that the rabbits migrated from Mr Jacks k's neighorhoud after a year or two, and that he hap not hid the difficulties to contend with which other settlers have encountered. Mr Buchanan was the next vitness. Pie stated that he had found clearing off the rabbit cover the most effectual factor in dealing with the pest on his own laud He regards the introduction of natural enemies as the only solution of the rabbit difficulty. JYoru personal experience in England, he denied fhat ferrets, stoats, and weasels ever attacked lambs, He advocates the Counties administering the Rabbit Act, and if they failed in their duty, the Government stepping ii), Mr Joskpii Waiid testified that since ferrets became numerous in his neighborhood they had no trouble with the rabbits. His advice was to reduce the numbers on any block of land by poison, and then to trust to ferrets to keep them down. He was of the opinion stoats and weasels' would also be useful. Farmers, lie said, did not like ferrets; they went to the hen roosts, Mi' CiJTiipp.WJj asserted that the Government in list destruction on unoccupied Crown lands or submit to see tho whole colony devastated. He suggested innoculnting rabbits with mange, Mr G, F, lluuEN, of Kiiikouifi, said that ferrets were doing a great work in his district, and woujd save the country. Rabbitcatohers he regarded as more harm than good, lie hud bjaan turning out ferrets for eight years; the dark ones were the best. Mr Uwuit bore testimony to the fact that rabbits bad left many families homeless and destitute in his neighbourhood (Invercargill),

Excepting from two dstricts, the evidence laid before the Committee on the natural enemy" question was very meagre, jjr Bp'LLp'fl experience is probably the argument which convinced the Committee of the ndyisability of protecting by jaw the natural enemy of rabbits, Jt would, perhaps linve been' better before sanctioning the general introduction of ferrets, stoats, and weasels into the colony, if a qualified and independent commission were sent to the Kaikouras to ascertain with accjifricy the maximum of good and the minimum jqf evil connected with the turning out of ferrets. If they nre an beneficial and as harmless as Mr BuivLEN represents them to be, there will, within a few ye&rs time, be hundreds and thousands of them in every rabbit-haunted district in the colony; but it is well to make certain that they are so,