THE RABBIT PEST IN THE WHAREAMA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2304, 26 May 1886, Page 2

THE RABBIT PEST IN THE WHAREAMA.

MEETING AT KUMURAU. A meeting of influential sheep-owners was held at Mr CarsweH'B hotel on Saturday last, to discuss the question of how best to cope with the rabbit pest. Mr R. Maunsell, the convenor of tho meeting, who occupied the chair, said he had called the meeting with a view of devising some means of abating the rabbit nuisance. An exchange of opinions would do good, and assist settlers in their efforis to destroy tho pest. He had called the meeting more as a private than a public one, but he had no.objection to publicity boing given to the proceedings. 'Mr Hawkins originally suggested the meeting which was to have been held at Kaumingi. The business he proposed that should be discussed was—lst, To consider whether any and what means should be.Urged on the Government for enabling settlers to successfully cope with the pest.. 2nd, What course should be taken in tho Whareama as to poisoning, and as to the introduction of stoats and weasels. 3rd, Whether it is desirable to abandon entirely I dogs and traps as a means of rabbit destruction. He would ask Mr Hawkins to address the meeting. Mr Hawkins said he thought the most essential step in the first instance was to stop the imigration *f rabbits from one district to another, and from one property to another. •■ This could only bo done by wire netting. If properties could be sub-divided into 300 acre blocks, rabbits could be absolutely got rid of. A few might get back through fences being out of repair. It would be too costly to divido into such small blocks,;but it was very desirable that boundaries of properties Blnuld be fenced "with netting, and that wire netting should be made a legal fence. These fences would require regular and constant supervision—an inspection of them once a week would bo required. Great attention should be paid to the stopping up of underground water-courses. Owners had been puzjfod to know where rabbits had come into their properties from when the netting was in good order, but after careful examination it was found they had access through underground watercourses. Rabbits migrated in largo numbers along road lino s, and he advised the erection of rabbit-proof gates at suitable places and intervals, on all roads in rabbit infected districts. Under the present Counties Act he knew of no power to erect these gates, but as tho question was one of great importance to the Colony, the Government, should give the requisite power. The evil was so great that he thou£fht-ifc not unreasonable to ask the travelling public to put up with the slight inconvenience of these gates, which would only be erected in proclaimed rabbit districts. If rabbit netting was made a legal fence, and if power was given to erect gates, it would be only liecessary that the provisions apply so long as a district remain infested, In this district there was a good caso to ask the Government to take the steps indicated, Settlers had been harrassed and made examples of, and the state of the - district was public talk. If rabbits were thick they would spread to Napier. They advanced slowly, but surely, and he felt Bure they were advancing steadily northward, The question was,- is it fir is it not in the interest of tho whole Colony to have such measures adopted as will stop the spread of the pest. The Government had no right to subject settlers to penalties unless proper power was given to enable them to successfully cope with the evil, and unless'they were granted this power, he felt sure they could not keep tho rabbits within bounds. He would move the following resolutions:—(l) That it is essential, as one of the first si ops in dealing with the rabbit pest, to stop th migration of rabbits fromono district to anofchor, and from one property to another. (2) That ponding tho establishment generally of the natural enemies of rabbits in rabbit-infested districts in the Colony, wire notting is absolutely necessary. (3) That wire netting should in all proclaimed rabbit districts be a legal fenco, but that such netting should be applied not necessarily to a boundary fenco, but to such fence on either property as may constitute the best line of defence against rabbits,. (i) That it is essential to atop the migration of rabbits on main as well as on district roads, and with this view rabbit proof gates should be erected and maintained at points to be approved by a properly constituted authority. Mr John Morrison said there was a great difficulty in wire netting on rough ground, where there were watercourses. It was not the size of the paddocks that made it difficult to get rid of rabbits, but the Mature of the ground, It would bo harder to clearsomo paddocks with 300 acres, than others with 3000. Subdividing, with netting, was tho necessary thing. It was a good plan to shift the sheep before poisoning, and hunt the poisoned land afterward with men and dogs, so as to kill any straggling rabbits that had escaped* the poison. It would be useless to wire net on the actual boundary lines of properties, as they were often very rough and unsuitable He objected to tho power of locating these fences being given to Inspectors. Mr Hawkins: You must have some' authority in case neighbors may not agree. One owner might not desire to fence where the other did,. and there would "he disagreements as to the best fencing lines, Mr Maunsell agreed that it was desirable to stop the emigration of rabbits on road lines, but ho was dubious about gates being kept shut. Roads would havo to be netted on both sides.

Mr Morrison suggested that the gates should be on the boundaries of properties. Road lines wore often very rough and unsuitable for fencing. Ho strongly objected to tho Inspector exercising his opinion as to the best position for gates. Mr-Hawkins suggested the Inspector and Road Boards, Mr Elder thought Road Boards should not have the power. There must, howover, be somo authority, but it was a matter of detail, The resolution was then putandcarried unanimously.

The Chairman: The next question is the introduction of Bloats and weasels and poisoning. Opinions differed as to whether it was best to poison from May to August or all the year round. His experience was that it could be done effectually during October and early in November. Experiments made by himself that time last year were very satisfactory. He then desisted through the very hot wuather, and commenced again in February, keeping on now where rabbits are thick. Be was of opinion that spade poisoning could be done with good results, except during a few months in the middle of Bummer. Be'urged the necessity, of introducing natural enemies, both stoats and woasels, oMd would ccm-

■ilV'rrrr n tribute towards tho cost (if procuring them. Cats were of great benefit. They should, when taken on to a station, he Confined until their natural instinct to wander back home, was broken. Cats Boon acquire habits of hunting for their own food. [ Mr Elder thought poisoning should be done simultaneously. The inspector should appoint ft day, and if settlers did not commence work then, they should be fined.'

■Mr J. Morrison objected to this. If everyone started <it once it would be difficult to get sufficient labor, and it would be hard to fine a man if he could not. procure men to do the work. Mr Hawkins thought the inonthß in which the winter poisoning should commence might be fixed from—say, Ist June to tho end of August, Mr Morrison was of opinion that the Inspector should see the poison properly mixed and put down. A great deal of badly prepared grain was used. Mr Hawkins agreed that supervision in this direction was necessary. There was neglect in mixing, which in some cases was the result of ignorance.- The quantity of rabbits seen was no test as to their actual numbers. Rabbits may be seen in numbers at one time and not at' another, A good test was the quantity of droppings to be seen on the. ground, and the number of squatting places. He thought tho Inspectors were not quito careful 'enough in looking after these signs.' They went too much by the actual number of rabbits seen. Rabbits might not be seen in good gras3 paddocks, but they would come to them from rough ground to feed, He had noticed that in his own paddock, where no rabbits were to be seen, but when he ran a plough furrow through them and laid poison it was all taken. Rabbits wero frequently poisoned upon land where there were little or no signs of them. His experience showed him that paddocks whore there were .apparently no rabbits all the poison had been taken. ' If you want to got rid of rabbits you must poison the whk land.

Mr Mmison objected to Inspectors having authority to compel settlers to lay a certain amount of poison. His experience was that it required to be laid thicker in some localities than m others, Inspectors were not always good judges. A man might he appointed who had no previous knowledge of rabbit poisoning, and as soon as he was made an Inspector he fancied he knew more than settlers who had years of experience. Mr Hawkins: The authority of the Inspector would only be exercised in .cases where owners would not lay sufficient grain, not where they were doing their duty. The question waa whothor those who do their dutyshould be under a certain amount of annoyance in order that careless persons should be made to poison and get rid of the pest. Rabbits came from rougli country to feed on good_ grass, and it should therefore be on the good grass the poison should be kid. It would pay often to poison on neighbors lands, from which rabbits came to feed on the good grass of adjoining owners, Poison, to be effectual, would have to be universal.

Tho following resolutions were then moved and carried:—(l) That general winter poisoning is necessary, and should be carried on from the' latter part of the month of May to the end of August. (2) That such poisoning should be dono not only on lands numerously infested with rabbits, but on lands where rabbits are comparatively lew. That the neglect to poison lands whero they aro apparently few is extremely mischievons, tending to keep up a stock which rapidly and largely increase in the ensuing spring. (3) That the Inspectors should havo power to require the laying of such. quantities of grain as thoy think necessary, and to enforce the laying of such quantities, and secure tho proper preparation and laying of the grain. The Chairman: The noxt question is tho abandonment of dogs and traps. He was aware that there is a great difference of opinion on this point, but he believed seftiers generally, advocated persistent poisoning. His experience was that with men h ut n ting wifchdogs, that many mongrels are purchased, and if they do not suit they are given a kick and turned adrift to go wild. On our run we have killed eloven dogs in the last few months, which had gone wild from rabbitera. On an adjoining property 100 dogs aro kept for rabbiting, Poison, if laid from February to October, is more effectual. Mr Morrison was in favor of hunting with dogs ono month after poisoning, to pick up stragglers. Either this or traps. He had found that more waß done in one month after poisoning than any other timo. At that time the does are in young, and every one destroyed really means tho killing of half a dozen. Mr Hawkins found plough spade poisoning very difficult and expensive, so costly as to make it almost impossible to carry it on. It might do on country thinly infected, but where the pe«t is/numerous, far too costly. Dogs and traps, especially p<-cks of dogs, were inimical to the natural enemies, The uso of large packa of dogs nr the utter destruction of the natural enemy. Ab to traps when rabbits aro numerous they are the best of all machinery, but they are fatal to the natural enemy unkss gagged. Trust must be placed in employees to not destroy ferrets and cats whon caught. It is difficult to obtain reliable men, but undorcor-, tain circumstances they may be } procured, It was not ut question of wages. If the men are reliable and good pay them well, but it is difficult to apply this honesty and J fidelity to a large area. Tho natural enemy iB what we have to look to in the end. At on* time he employed two first class trappers, but tho fact remained that ferrets were trapped and injured, and he had to dispense with the traps. The trappers averaged 10 rabbits a' day, and men with guns 25. But the trappers cleared the ground most effectually, the men with guns always making even tallies day after day. Tho great objection to traps is tho destruction of ferrets, Rabbits may be kept at a level, but it was difficult to get them lower. The plan might do to employ men with one small dog and dig out the burrows. It was very essential to dig out the homes of the rabbits. When cover was destroyed rabbits made deeper burrows, with more branches, in faqt made warrens. Spades" were the best implements to destroy tho rabbits' homes; in default of this, jagged traps, if trustworthy men can be procured. Mr R. Maunsell said he \vould not abandon dogs entirely, but it was very undesirable to employ contract men witli large packs. It simply meant the destruction of the natural enemies. His three articles of belief were persistent poisoning, breeding natural enemies, wire netting and subdividing portions of the land, The following resolutions were then moved and carried :

That the use of large packs of dogs is fatal to the increase of ( the natural enemy. That the dealing with the rabbits apart from the winter poisoning can only bo effected (Ist) by the increase of the natural enemy, and (2nd). by the employment of rabbiters of thoroughly proved competence and fidelity, paid liberal wages, not by so much per skin, and allowed the use of spade, ferrets, small dogs, gagged traps, and spade laid poison, at their discretion. That a copy of the resolutions passed by this meeting be sent to the sheepfarmers In the Whareama, and that they be requested to signify, their opinion on thoM to the churaw of the meeting,