RABBIT EXTERMINATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3675, 29 November 1890, Page 2

RABBIT EXTERMINATION.

Btweloy's'Pasto. . •.'■ The following communications regarding the use of Staveley's-. arsenic paste for .the destruction.-of. rabbits wore readat the meeting of. the North :■•'■' Mmigi , eo,Awatere,;.-'.".- ; .: : ~./•;:• ,:vOoy#,lßDO. v : Sib,—Beplyjng to youits of the 10th inst re Staveley's..' paste," I; beg -to state.Mt I have had b'ettev, Ksults from;;" the than ."any: other rjieth'pa'triedjby'me for' M destruc-;tioi(-6f.rabbits, The; country .pasted tliree ;sidostand with'- a riW'-fr'ontuge'of. 2J miles. Where Ihave had the greatest trouble with the clearing ot this block was on. the liver terraces, where the burrows aro very difficult to get at..' Thero is also a lern terrace that-is a harbor lor them, as.it is difficult driving them to the burrows. But all the flat is nearly clear of rabbits. Where they could 'be seen in tlionsauds previously, there is scarcely one to be seen now, and it is a year since,.it was done, ■ The only labor • required to keep them thus is one boy at 17s per week. -The sheop on this block previous Jo its being pasted were starving almost, the 'wool dip and lambing being very; .;.poor; sinoe ' it ■)V(is;.;ddrie,;th'e sheop ;avo.showing lambingand more sheep running on the black than there has beon'for. years. To get the results lrom. the paste,, the country operated. upon should be wire netted in, order that the rabbits from outside may not disturb the. pasted burrows, The pasted country should be gone over carefully to dostray all stop holes, so that no rabbits are missed in this way. The paste,ls little or no .good on heavy patches'of bush or fern, as the rabbits do not burrow where theyget-such cover. But on all open country and grass paddocks, where they aro compelled to burrow, they can be quito exterminated. After tbß cqmi'try has been gono over and oompleted, say one man ought to be kept to paste any burrows that have, beenre-openod and finish off;the stragglers. As' for the natural enemy, thero were a few ferrets and weasels on the land done by me, but none of these were aver ■ found dead, and havonot heard of any elsewhere. ißXpn'olusion I would say that the resultif have. been'; eminently ■. Eatiafatstory in mycasei'aiVd.wouldrecommendyour Board if thay decide to try it, to get an expert (sity Mi' Stavoley) to show the hest way of using. ■'■-■' '.• Yours faithfully, J. Watson,

Ricmnond Brook, Awatere,' Dear Sir,—l have your letters of the 9th and 10th, and in reply have niuoh pleasuro iu giving your Board the foUqwUlg information:— ■' Fiiosi'uorous,—l have not imported any for two years, but have just sent an order home through Messrs Holmes and Bell, Blenlioim, (who imported for in,q before) and Yfh,psQ London firm and address are Bell and Holmes, 11, Milton Street, E.O. I have referred your letter to the local firm who will probably ooinmunioate with you, Stanley's Paste.—l have been using that under the supervision of Staveley himself for two .or three years, and find that in clearing rabbits out of warrens and watercourses it has done better work for me than other means I have tried, It is more especially useful in cleaning snia.ll enclosures, particularly should they be netted off and the rabbits confined. I need scarcely point out that this paste can only bo used satisfactorily by thoroughly reliable men, I am fortunate in having Staveley hero to work it birqselt, As to, whether it is in any wjy destructive to the natural enemy 1 cqnnot apeak with; any certainty, During the time I have worked the paste here I have not coine across any of the (l enemy" dead, and I know for a fact there are plenty of ferrets about m the conn-. try which has been and is being pasted. : lam, Sir, Yours faithfully, Fmscis. H. Richmond, Plaxbourne Station, Sir, I beg to acknowledge yours qf'thp lQth insj, re Stavcloy's paste, In reply I have to state'.that I havo been using the paste now for over twelve montbs,.and my experience is tint when used by ordinary.men its effects are dubious; but when used by Staveley himself the resnjt ia good, although very expensive. As regards its killing tho natural enemy, it is impossible to say, but Staveley claims that it does not, audi should say myself that it is doubtful if it does kill any. I have attained the best ■ reaulfa by poisoning first and ! following up with trappers on blocks netted in, say five, or six thousand acres in a block. Trappers of course catch a certain amount of ferrets and stoats " and. woasoli, the.,, former without damaging tbom, so by'taking care only to employ expert trappew and reliable men not much harm is J done. '

I am, sir, ; ' Faithfully yours,. W, t), Vayaiour. Awatere Rabbit libard, Blenboim. I • Bm.—l beg to acknowledge letter from your Board of the lQtb inst, I enquiring for au opinion re Staveley's Patent Atsemo Paste. I am iristtueted ; by the.,Gbairiuan to iiiforin you in i reply, that the Board, has for soine ,' time past been paying MivStaveley; a I royalty <or|ho useofhispastei'whicu ; baa been tried on several of the lmns ' ib'tlio Mi- "Richmond (one of the members of the Board) and the iusDC(ftovliaiYe'v , epor.l?(i very

favorably upon it. Of cotirsi vfrtuii tlio inaii'iiei' of its use there can ;be' little_ doubt that if any natural enemy was in the burrow when the paste waalatd'it .wonld be, liable to ? be .destroyed, though wo are-un-aware of any. actual destruction by this means having been pi'ovotl, ■,""•'.'• Yours, ot'c, ■: •■■ > - ..--.-.. ; :. ■; ;' p. Griffiths, ■■; Beoretnry;>A watore fiabbit Board} • P.Bi For further information I would .'.refer'you to MrF,H, Riohmoncl, of Biohraoiidßroblr, arid ilr Vavasour, of Maxbourne, who .havabo'th used the . v ; .: