THE RABBIT PEST.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7141, 31 August 1888, Page 3

THE RABBIT PEST.

♦ About two months ago the Awatere Rabbit Board forwarded the following circular to the ratepayers:—" Dkak Sir,— With reference to the resolution passed at the June meeting, to set aside the sum oi £2000 from the year's rates, for the purpose of subsidising those stockownerswho, for the purpose of eradicating rabbits, wish to use other means than the importation of stoats and weasels, which means the Board shall approve of, 1 am directed to enquire whether you can suggest any Dther means of expending your rates which you consider would be more advantageous on your country." At a meeting of the Board held on the 6th inst., a number of replies were read, among them being one from Mr Acton-Adams, orChristshurch. As Mr Acton-Adams' letter may be of interest to our up-country readers we reprint it in full. It ran as follows :— " I am in receipt of your circular asktig what means I can suggest, other than 3toats and weasels, for destroying the rabbits. I desire in reply in the first instance to say that 1 am perfectly satisfied with the stoats and cats I have turned out. I sxpended about £800 last summer, and though slow at first to make any sign, yet aow the shepherd on the Saxon in charge | jf the ewes during trapping, has found numerous rabbits with the heads and necks eaten. No doubt they kill most of their prey in the burrows, as outside the rabbits are sofleet, theymust often escape. \ 3ome grey cats are now in their second winter, and as I saw them myself lookiDg 3trong and healthy, it follows that they must also be living on rabbits. The worst point about the cats, from an individual point of view, is their struggle to return home. A large number of my cats left mc, and are now on Mr Low's country and Mr M'Arthur told mc that he saw some of them worn thin with travel at St. James's station. But if the Board would establish a depot for cats, with a married man to look after them, say at Richmond Dale or Landridge, where I turn out about 1000 a year, such action would in two years reach the rebbit question in the Upper Awatere and Waihopai. The cats should be bought at Is to Is 6d each. They are a cheap and permanent remedy, and have succeeded well on several stations in Australia. But in the second place, if I am asked for my advice for a remedy outside the natural enemy, I say decidedly spend £250 in introducing Butcher and Ellis' marasmoid disease. I have kept myself posted up In the reports of the Conference, and have had some interviews with Dr. Butcher's brother, who went over from here to attend the Conference. Not only has this disease cleared the rabbits off Tintinallogy station, but off the country within sixty miles. The adjoining owners were heavily infested, and they have done nothing but secretly introduce the disease during the time the Government prohibited it. Now the New South Wales Government are satisfied, after careful experiments, that it is not hurtful to cattle, sheep, horses, &c, and their action in stopping their annual expenditure of over £300,000 in discharging their rabbit inspectors, and in allowing runholders to introduce the disease at will, shows exactly what they think of it. From what I can hear from Sydney, and from our Christchurch experiments by Dγ Symee, I am satisfied that Pasteur's disease is not contagious, and only kills by being eaten or inoculated Still, Pasteur's reputation is so great thai the Commission must give him a trial and practically they are only trying his and Butcher's disease, showing what is the real view of the Commission. Send s man to Sydney to bring down half a dozei infected rabbits, and provide him on the voyage and at a dep6t near Blenheim wltr fresh rabbits, and distribute diseased rabbits on the runs, and the thing is done, Of course you have to pay heavily for youi diseased rabbits at first. But what oi that compared with the Board's present outlay, and the individual outlay of all oi us. U the Board would keep the rabbits down for our rates, as they might with introducing Butcher's disease and making their staff manage to distribute it, no one would complain. But the private expenditure outside of the'rates is snnplj crushing. lam determined to save Tarndale, but lam doing so at the sacrifice of all my Income from it. For two yeara I hav3 not drawn a penny from it. It is the duty of the Board to see that this state of thiugs does not last." . .... Of the other runholders who replied to the circular, some preferred wire netting, some stoats and weasels, and others sbootlnef and poisoning. The Board, in view of the importance of the matter, deferred consideration until the next meeting.