A NEW METHOD OF RABBIT POISONING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1069, 9 May 1882, Page 2

A NEW METHOD OF RABBIT POISONING.

When Captain llaymoud's system ■of oisoniug rabbits by means of laying oats aturated with phosphorus and oil of hodiura became known, it was readily .dmitled that, after a short trial, the reults were very satisfactory, but there vas ample room for the complaint that it fas expensive, the work of preparing tlio irain involved a considerable amount of abor, and that moreover the phosphorus vas not very easily procured in sufficient piantities, while it was also very danger>us stuff to have near the premises. But iomohow, nobody thought of malting experiments with other poisons, and phosphorus was snon looked upon as the only reliable exterminator of the post. When ivo state that arsenic has teen proved squally efficient, many of our readers sill probably exclaim, 'I thought as riuch,' and indeed, it a .wonder that Japtaiu Raymond should have selected phosphorus as the only poison after havng ascertained that oil of rhodium attracted the rabbit, especially as he must mve been well aware of the fact that .here aro many others which aro less repulsive. The discovery was made some ittle time back in Victoria, where broken vheat, bran, or oats soaked in a solution )f arsenic appear to have been used with ;hemost satisfactory remits. As the subject is one in whicha very large section )f our readers are deeply interested, we ippend directions for preparing the gram md poison. A farmer from Mount Elephant sends the following to the Australasian :—' Take 12 gallons freah water, 51b arsenic, 101b brown sugar, 401bs oats, well crushed. Put arsenic in cold water in boiler and boil for one hour, then add sugar and boil for 15 minutes, the oats to be then put in (fire to be put out) and Boaked for two hours, strain through a sieve, and lay out in small spoonfulls about the runs and burrows.' He asserts that he has used this for three years with the most satisfactory results. It will be noted that oil of rhodium is dispensed with altogether in this preparation. Mr Henry Dudley, Crown Bailiff at Charlton, who appears to .has made a number of experiments, recom-' mends the following :' Mixture,-1001 h broken wheat, 31b arsenic, 31b sugar;'' 81b Bharps, 2 gallons water, 30 drops oil ot rhodium. Place the wheat in an iron vessel, dissolve the sugar in two gallons of hot water, pour same on the grain and mix up well with a shovel, then sift the arsenic over the whole, and again mix. Just before ttorlin; to lay tho grain, (whichßhould be put down in the afternoon) sift eight pounds of sharps over it, and add 30 drops of oil of rhodium, I And that the poison should be sowu thin, and it is far better to make it in small quantities, bo that it may be put down fresh. I also found the following most effective—in fact it suppassed the wheat and arsenic; Chaff, 301b; arsenio, 31bj Bugar 31b j water 2 gallons. Dissolve the sugar in two gallons warm water, pour ever the chaff, stir well, then sift the arsenic over the whole, and mix again. This is a moat effective poison to lay along brush fences in small heaps, but of course cannot be laid where Btock is on the

ground. In the latter case, a fow triangular check-and-log yards can easily be erflolfld, and tlio poisoned chaff placed away from the sheep. All thoso molhods are simpler and cheapor than phosphoriae*d grain, and if they are proved to bo equally effective Ihoy should prove a great boon to all landholders.—New Zealand Mail.