THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2372, 13 August 1886, Page 2

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

extraots of bvidenob taken before joint committee. Ferrets and natural enemies, Sir N, Campbell.—We have not done any poisoning since I was.'before the Committee in September 18§4. We have done the work by natural enemiesferrets and cats. I think the ferrets havo done very good work. Mr Bullen, in our neighborhood, has cleared his run with ferrets only. 1 frequently ride through about ft miles of his run and 1 have not seen a rabbit for the last sixmonths, whereas I used to see swarmb .of them.. Ferrets will go to any .elevation that rabbits will go I think.. We. have exterminated, more than, spread, the rabbit? in our neighbors country., Ikuow places where there have-been sevoral colonies of rabbits and what with:.poison-ing,-ferrets, and cats, there are no rabbits there now. Ido not mean to say.that we have exterminated them altogether, but we have reduced their number.

Inspector Bayley.—The natural enemy if in sufficient number would keep the rabbits under in the summer if backed up by energetic measures in the winter! There are millions of "acres'of _ country where the only remedy is the r natural enemy. . ' ; •■"■' ■ : - '

Inspector Foster.—l think there should be more unanimity in the way of poisoning and tUrriingouk. natural enemies. A ' great deal of money is '. wasted through turning out ferrets at -the "wrong time. Then before being turned out, ferrets should ba trained to subsist on live rabbits. In cold country ferrets Bhould.be.. turned out in spring,;ahdey6n .if tho following winter kills them; they will have, earned 'their cost by the number of rabbits they, have killed. It is necessary to constantly, turn out a supply of ferrets as. they are' dolicato and perrißh fronT.thV climate; therefore would not become, a nuisance' if the rabbits were killed out. '

Mr Ritohie.-r-The only, means .of <les-! in the summer ;is to .turn out natural enemies to ; a large extent and employ men to shoot." I, have heard no complaint against the natural enemy, nor' do 1 fear any danger,. : ' Inspector./McDonald.—The ferrets turned out are increasing .very -fast. and. spreading over the country;' young .rabbits have not been so numerous.where they have been turned out,. ■ /: Mr Brydono,—We have turned.out ferrets on .nearly all our places, They; are increasing and doinp go»d j of course, they require to be turned out in large numbers ona big tract of country to see "■My'de<ade4'ifßulfi.;/.'We.--fiiad' 'they; are: ■breeding, dpm : g'et' /young ones in -,- the traps "ocMsipnally;•',■ I; 1 havenp dojibt ■ weasels- would be the best natural enemy, butl.thoy'cannot Be obtained.in..such quantities as will, make much, effect for many years,- Forreti seejii'tp be the

.moat serviceable,in inoßfc,plabesr ; ir Th^! stoatdoes^otitihid' ? flnoff in the least,, ■they are'hardier than ferrets, i-.'/ ■ .<■■ .. ;; Mr J. C.rß«cklttnd, M.H.E;-I;hare; tried naturai'eneniies largely^.Md/Mifc iaVorof them; but.they do not. thrive in gmyl The, stoats will he wry: useful when they become more numerous,. they are so hardy::; ; The ferreta areonpt increasing: uuManitoto, 1 suppose >'the cold winter effects torn. I was'-the" first to introduce theßtoat info Now Zealand. They can. be bought ; in any number at Home for 5b each, and brought out more cheaply, than ferrots. I had w offer to supply me with as many as* chose at. 5s in England, In quantities I should imagine they would bo ■ brought out for-10a each. .I,was offered them..by ,the 'grmekeeper of -the" Earl.' of Yarborough's estate in .Lincolnshire. I am of opinion that, in Otago the ferret is, not going to be a useful animal for breeding and increasing naturally, Tho' stoat and weasel, however will do so. Inspector Douglas of Wallaco district, lama' strong advocatel.foruaturalenemies. Have turned 0ut1,200 ferrets during the last three years, They, .breed and thrive, .and go to a high elevation; There is no doubt where the grouud'has ] been carefully poisoned in winter they will-keep the rabbits down if numerous J enough. Stoats and weasels should be:. imported;by the Government, theywould be f preferable to ferrets for hi«h and cold: country;,. ,1 think. moi'e : ?;06d woUld be done in the way of creatingfche-natural enemies than in offering a bonus for skins,; A few ferrets are useless,' .they must bj»' ' turned out iii large numbers. V' ..: 1!; Mr Roberts.—l have 1 turned out & groat many ferrets.. Thore is no doubt they increase; In 1884.w» killed about

50,000rabbits,.now. we are carrying as much stock as ever. lam quite satisfied if •p'rQper.care is taken rabbits can be kept down. ■••■.■■ [ : ; ■'.

Chief Inspector Bayley, re-examined.— I look forward .to the time when the natural enemy will be.presenfc in sufficient numbers to do the work without the expenditure that.is,-now necessary.- -The date when this "will be the case "miist depend on the expenditure gone to in introducing the natural enemy. The eradica-. tion of the pest must depend on this, X would suggest that, every landholder should pe compelled to breed arid turn outferrets according to his acreage. '.. N. Grace.-:! consider the terrets have

done a great deal' of .'good.. In fact, I know places wluch.were swarming with rabbits, and.- where there was nothing being done except .by, ferrots, and now the rabbits have almost disappeared.

: " POISOSKS. Inspector Foster.-The • landowner* should agree with the inspectors as to the time to poison. They should poison in the summer when there is very little feed and-also in the winter. 'lnspector MoDonald.-Univerßal poisoning is the mainspring of our operations. We poißon in the. Bummer and find it taken—but this should only be done whore there are' colonies of rabbits, f I insert a''notice in the paper announcing the department is going .to commence poisoning and asking settlers to co-operate at the'same'time. The agents go round and see-that simultaneous poisoning ifl cii Tried 1 out.' This is in the winter.■Mr J;' 0. Buckland, M.H.R.-I rely largely on poisoning. I never saw rabbits tako the poison more treely than they do in tlw summer. .1 should have poison laid in quantities' so long as there are aigus of rabbite : scratching. Rabbits collect m colonies if'left undisturbed. Dogging, shooting, and trapping during [the summer months scatters them, More actual good can be done by poisoning than by any other method. The young rabbits will always take poison. ■ Inspector Douglas.—l believe irrsim: ultaneous poisoning,''the' quicker the wound is poisoned the better the 'effect. What' rabbits are left congregate into little colonies, and.thes.e are'dealt with bya second poisoning. Generally speakitity the country should be poisoned, twice..' Mr Foster.—ln ..the winter'. 1 time the poisoning .is done simultaneously in accordance'., with the' .arrarigeinontß. ■ entered into with the Inspectors.. Summer poisoning is sometimes successful. - .• Mr Grace;—We have poisoned during the summer months, and nover. saw the rabbits take it better. Thore was abundance of food -at the time though dry. We disturb the surface "of the-ground with a Bpade or some other tool. I consider the mistake people' make with ■regard to poisoning rabbits- is they .consider, one poisoning .sufficient, and they allow them- to inorease again till the following wjntor, when the same thing, has to be done over again; whereas, I ani. confident it is only by successive poisonings that the rabbit difficulty is to' be overcome. '-.'. WiiE Netting. ' SirN. Campbell.—l think the same amount of money spent in poisoning ; and natural enemies as wire netting, would be more of nei ting is so great. We. do not use netting although our neighbouring properties are swarming with rabbits and ours comparatively free; ■ Mr McDonald.-In jay district.: ona firm put up 36 miles of wire-notting with a view to destroying-their own rabbits inside and keeping back their neighbors but it was found'the fence had to be abandoned the damage, done by floods, fires, &c., was so great. Ik wag so much money lost to them;.. . Mr Brydone.—l have.only put netting round my plantations and 'so forth. It would not be of any use to as where the wholo country is infested 1 with rabbits. Of course if there is a clean district and an infected one wire netting, if properly cared for, would be the means of of stopping the- encroachment of rabbits,, but when the whole country is infested it is useless. Netting, used as a- means for .killing rabbits off. would be expensive. Netting in rough country cannot be kept secure without great care and exponse, -Mr J. 0. Buckland, M.H.R.r-All : my experience of wire netting shows me Ihat whore it has been put up in, rough country it has been abandoned. On farms it is useful, I have seen it tried and, abandoned generally on runs. .

Inspector opinion is that netting acts as a great check"; but it is very apt to cause false security if people trust'entirely to it...- Ifcis constantly out of repair in rough country, and wants constant attention, It. will not keep out rabbits altogether. , TRAPPING AND DIGGING OUT WATBB, COURSES AND BCBROWB, Inspector. Bayley.—ln trapping you certainly kill a good many rabbits, but ;you destroy the natural enemy at the same time. I would not compel owners to trap or fumigate if I. saw they were ; turning out natural enemies, but! would, urge them to shoot and take other means. Inspector Foßfcer. —I would add 1 am in favor of the prevention of trapping. It ;has the effect of destroyinga great many Wets. ' I think' the Inspectors -should have the option of prohibiting trapping in anydistriot. . . Mrßitohiei—l now 611 in the rabbit holes, I that .will be a great benefit, It entails a large 'expenditure, .bnt it' is an expense that will 'eventually' pay: for. itself. The holes we haye are principally under runners. •' . Mr J.O.BucklandM.H.R--I woW ; also recommend the destruction of; rabbit burrows'whenever found. Babbit* .kill always.come back again, : ho • matter whether yon fumwate or poison.',' : . ■'.'.- Mrßoberk-Iriona ploo» w 'foboid.

.S6:'baugh|'heariy ptfinihy; the .traps-as labb'its, gave it tip/. As o. 'ruletfYf^ y, ( -rI pw;tbl;ieSfen:eti .inpreaseai j ocpssionallj. catch, ypaeg pnesjri thetrapa.-' - ;■ :>w :^i£,": ' ; : «