THE RABBIT PEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3128, 13 February 1889, Page 2

THE RABBIT PEST.

& public meeting to discuss the •*■' question of the introduction' of the '■ ■'; 0 : natural enemies to the rabbit was '%. held in the Theatre. Royal this ■•■ ?;/ (Wednesday morning., There was"; Fl about sixty settlers'presentiand Mr hi K. S. Maunsell was voted to' the: : ':^ : ' chair. .' . . •:■ ::~y ■■■•'-..'.. -y-.-/ . ; The .Chairman said he thought all ; -'/ interested had como to thei conclusion that the past methods adopted were ■ insufficient. They had therefore ■ determined to call a public!meeting; " ; / to diaouss the,question. : Bome years'.' - - ./: iigij similar steps had beeti.takeh but;■■'•; nothing came of it, ; The' Govern-, / thent' had been asked to take such ; steps as might be deemed 'advisable•';'/;/-/ to. put ,dowh the pest, / : Mr WvH. Beetham moved- ■ s -/.■ ■• ■ ■; *> ■•;" That inHho opinion of this' meeting," tlie. ■' ~,X * introduction; of stoats and '..weasels and- '■: -V~A' ferrets, and other natural enemies in Urgo ; ;-//:// numbers,is necessary,forjhoipurppse.of' ; y^/ : copirig'with the rabbit peat j and that 'with 5 - ■ ; - - tho'pbject of Buch introduction a' rabbit'i''•'//i district be; / % .;// \\ //^fe:/?^''^/ Ijo-said: he/felt -

.^ ; y Starts the proper meanßtOfialte, and - the solution of 'the^diieuliy.' 1 Hel did :;;,V'Mt think they would era'dicato tho they would keep them in HMgeok. i Stoats- ami v/easals... were [■£;< ganger froiii them it already existed. He did not think the natural enemies ; ; would prove a source of danger, Tho ; formation, of, Rabbit Boards and diatrio|s would '.enable them to cope ' with the difficulty iu a manner that • „■; they could not now do.". Information • Sould be forthcoming from other ■' /. ylpenke'rs'upon the question of the good they had done in other districts. Mr Levin seconded j'the- motioni ' Although not a resident of thedis- ''■' triot he was, interested in two pro- ■■■ perties. It wa,3.not a question of introducing stoats, weasels and ferrets,, they'were here already. The Joint Committee of both Houses of ' Parliament had enquired into the merits of the question/arid had ~, arrived at the conclusion that the ■ enemy- was the best method ': brought forward of coping with n» difficulty. In South Wairarapa .'' Trpunderatood that the rabbit pest had ceased to be a serious matter. • Mr Eiddiford, who had spent a deal of monoy on stoats and weasels, said the average number of rabbits destroyed was formerly two hundred a day, now it was not six a day. Anyone could see for thomselves that there were practically no rabbits in the- Lower Valley at the present tiine. The reports of Inspectors from all parts agreed that these natural enemies were the best means' of eradicating tho pest. The object of this meeting was to take steps to introduce these natural enemies. The 'Government gave them the power to create rabbit districts, and they granted a subsidy of £ for £. Should tho Boardnot prove a success tkjGoveraraent had the power to m[) in and itissolvo it, Ho instanced what was being done where districts were already created, and the satisfactory reports of the wholesale destruction of rabbits by the stoats and weasels. Year after year i raoperty owners had been spending sums in the futile attempt ' to eradicate the pest. It was a running sore, a perpetual source of expenditure. Mr H. S. vVardell asked the last speaker if he could give a further illustration of what had been done in South Wairarapa. It was important to kuow whether the district alluded to was' practically cleared, and . whether it might be attributable to the stoats and weasels. Mr Levin said Mr Eiddiford first introduced the natural enemy iu July, 1885. As to their increasing and spreading it was beyond doubt. The result also was the practical extermination of the rabbits in that County. Mr Clifton, Rabbit Inspector of the Wairarapa, in answer to Mr reported several instances of the success of stoats and weasels in the Otago district. It was proved that they stayed where they wore placed until they practically destroyed all the rabbits there, and then migrated to further fields where their natural food could be obtained. These natural enemies had in some oases been liberated on peninsulas, and it was absolutely proved that Jfaoyhad destroyed the pest. Dead <sSbbits had also been found killed by stoats and weasels, The poison had not been laid to any extent in any of ' these places and none at all iu the higher lands. Mr Stuckey said as far as he him-

self was concerned he. had no doubt

of the' capabilities of the stoat and , • weasel to" destroy rabbits. He had brought out from home all be could buy on his last visit. His own experience was that they roamed into the diijHcts where the food was most pSraful. They were certainly in the country. The following letter bearing on the question under discussion was read by the Chairman. It was written by Mr E. J, Eiddiford toDr W.H, Hosking, lam glad to bear that the settlers in North Wairarspa ore thinking of introducing stoats and weasels, I have imported four hundred about five years since, and the result has been most satisfactory. About two years after thoy were turned out, the decrease of rabbits was very perceptible ; so much so, that at one time my export af rabbit skins from my TeAwaiti Station was as much as ten bales, and last year I could only fill two wool bales, tightly pressed. I attribute this chiefly to the stoats and weasels, So far as my experience has gono, I feel satisfied that if ..turned out in sufficient -/lumbers the rabbit question would at rest', at any rate, rabbits.would bo sufficiently reduoed to prevent the enormous expenditure that settlers have been put to. yearly. Large rabbits are fqujjjfrdead, not only on my run, but on my newwurs,- bitten behind the ear, blood apparently suoked and no other portion of the rabbit touched. There is an idea, but without foundation, when all the rabbits are killed off that lambs will be attacked, lean noither hear, or meet any one that has ever known suoha. thing. It is certain that stoats and weasels are already bero and doing good, I recommend adding to the number. I regret not being able to be present at your meeting. MrW.W.McCardlesaidhehad; had experience in the old country of what "the natural en<*my" could do. His experience was that where rabbits were plentiful the weasels were to be found in numbers. So long as they could get within reach of poultry thoy religiously left rabbits alono, and in fact the latter was about the last article of food which they exerted themselves to obtain. Iu Scotland bo great a pest were they considered in Borne distriots that he had Known as much as 2s Cd per head offered as • a reward for their capture dead or alive. He thought they should not hastily decide upon their introduc- ■'-'■, tion, He would like to point out SHpiceville, and other parts of. that district, but at the present time not one was to be; found there yot no one had heard of, stoats and weasels having been introduced there. The credit was due to the district becoming settled, (Cheers). The Chairman said it appeared to him from the remarks of the different speakers that the stoats especially were of avail in repressing the rabbit nuisance, and that stoats, wero increasing;. It was simply a question . ' of dire necessity to graziers to put down the nuisance, As far as he had read the weasels were partial to rats, v mice, and young rabbits as food. As a fact they did not object to poultry, but he thought the poultry might be protected with very little expense. He strongly recommended the domestic cat as a destroyer of young rabbits. Mr W. H, Beetham said, Mr McCardle had asked how it was that rabbits had disappeared from Mauriceville, and no stoats or weaselshad been heard of as being turned out «$? He had a strong guess that "■'■." ■me stoats and weasels turned out in

the Manavratu District had destroyed • the rabbits inand about Mauriceville. z ' /,%; Mr H.;B, WardeH strongly sup- ,■} ported (he formation of rabbit distriots apd boards, . thought stoats and

weasels had done a deal , : oL good .-in destroying rabbits, but he: thought more credit had been, given. thein than was their due, •Extensive measures had been take'irby means of poison, dogs and guns, and .that. should betaken into nccounti .Blddider fluke also had been deemed: one of the principal reasons for their gradual disappearance in South Wairarapa. 'He hoped the Board when formed would decide the question whether stoats and weasels should be 'introduced, If they did so the farmers would support them. ■■..

The Rev 1 0. Andrew said he was tho original parent of the Rabbit Act, He, approved of the appointment of boaroVand • objected to the present method adopted by the Government of appointing inspectors, as as they were frequently, removed, and no two had the same mode of procedure to recommend for the destruction of the rabbits. Weasels and ferrets were liable to diseases. It was a law of nature that carnivorous animals could not rear their young without a liberal supply of food, and therefore they need not fear a dangerous increase of the stoats : and weasels, as when their natural food could not be obtained in sufficient quantity they would cease to increase. Mr Cockburn Hood suggested that Mr Williamson,who had been agame keeper all his life should give his experience of stoats and weasels.

Mr Williamson stated that he had trapped and poisoned them, and that they would take poisoned meat,

Mr McCardle said it cost half a crown a head to destroy them in the place where he came from. Mr Stuckey pointed out' that, rewards of this kind were usually paid, not by farmers, but by those who had the shooting to protect game.

Mr Williamson said he had trapped a hundred weasels and fifty stoats on two .thousand acres of land, The weasels and stoats did not exterminate the rabbits on this property. They hud, however, other game .to feed on. . MrR. B. Meredith doubted whether the natural enemy would fulfil its mission, and deprecated putting on oue side present tried methods in its favor, He quoted the Bullen run to show that the effect of the enemy was simply to drive the rabbits to the next range instead of getting rid of them. Mr Clifton denied that the rabbits had been driven off the Bullen run and affirmed that those that were on the run had been exterminated.

Mr Warden" asked if the importation of the natural enemy would necessitate the suspension of trappim? and poisoning. Mr Clifton replied that that would be a question fcr the determine,

The resolution was then put and carried on the voices. On the motion ol Mr Cockburn Hood, seconded by Mr Andrew, it was resolved—

That in order to curry out the foregoing resolution,' a Committee consisting of Messrs W. H. Beetham, F. Moore, B. Meredith, E, Maunsoll, Cockburn Kood, Hamlysido, Elder, Warren, and Stuckey be appointed to take the necessary steps lor preparing a petition to the Governor, in accordance with the Act, and to define tho boundaries ot the district, and other actions that may bo deemed espedient, A vote of thanks to the chair brought the meeting to a close,