THE RABBIT PEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2389, 2 September 1886, Page 2

THE RABBIT PEST.

Apropos of our remarks the other, day concerning the recommendation of a Parliamentary Committee to introduce more stoats and weasels into the colony for the purpose of abating the rabbit nuisance we now learn that thore-ii at present a gentleman resident in Auckland who has devised a means not only of cheaply and inoffensively ridding tho colony of its superfluous rabbits, but who also propones to convert thorn into a profitable article of export. He was iu businossaa a photographers London about a year ago, where to his amazement he roa4 that tho New Zealand Government was at great cost procuring stoats, weasols, and ferrets in order to let loose upon its prolifio rabbit population, Hecould hardly believe that any Bane people were willing to import and acclimatiso tho moat hated and noxious of all British vermin for the purpose of slaying wholesale the Tory sort of game which ia bo tasty arid-congenial to the Qockney palate. Finding, howovor, by pationt inquiry that it was no mere "ffoak" from the comic paperi, but a sober reality, the centloman ovolved from his inner consoiousness a plan for expeditiously securing whole droTos of livo rabbits at one swoop, and in proof of i his bono fidet he Bold off his long-estab-lished business and has come out to the colony in furtherance of his scheme. Its details cannot be explained, of course, for they aro a secret which will be duly patented;but this much may be said,' that tho inventor guarantees his ability in a single night to take alive 90 per oent. of the rabbits living in any particular paddock, enclosure, or farm. A» rabbits, according to his statement, fetch from fid to 8d each in the London market, It It part of his plan to have them turned into frozen meat in the colony, and shipped home. He Is so confident of the success of his idea that he hai already written to Sir George Grey explaining his proposals and undertaking if the Government will protect hia invention and provide him with the cheap appliances he requires, to demonstrate their thorough feasabillty. He very justly; rates the folly of those who, by .the introduction of dangerous pests, Beek to mitigate a nuisance by conjurins; up an evil of tenfold malignity. He pointß.but, as we have already done, that the'stoats and weasals would Bpeedlly donude the country of its native game, and would work as much havoo among the poultry as amongst the rabbits, while if they did confine themselves to the. latter, the ptitrifying carcaaea of their. victim would poison tho atmosphere far and

near, and perhaps produce an epidemic. If the gentleman in question can do what he professeß, the tables will be turned on bunny with a vengeance, and.inatead of being a cumberer of the ground, he may prove to be the subject of a remunerative industry. The inventor has Buch faith in hia discovered plan that should the Government be averse to action, he is disposed to move the public to form a company, and in that evont'he will invest £IOO in shares as an assurance of. his own confidence in the success of the affair. Wo commend the scheme to the notice of the Government, and also of farmers and sheep and cattle breeders in rabbit infested districts.—Auckland Star.