EXTERMINATING RABBITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19050, 22 June 1925, Page 14

EXTERMINATING RABBITS.

CALCIUM CYANIDE PROCESS. INVESTIGATION IN AUSTRALIA. Mr. Alan Saunders, who was sent to Australia by a firm of stock and station agents somo weeks ago to investigate tho claims mado on behalf of the calcium cyanide method of rabbit destruction, has returned from his mission fully satisfied that a moans of controlling, if not of actually exterminating, tho worst of New Zealand's animal pests has been discovered. On arrival in Sydney, ho went " np country" and occupied three weeks in taking an active personal part in the war being waged against tho rabbit in the Mother State. •" The agents of the American manufacturers and their representative, .Mr. JWoltjtonholme," Mr. Saunders said when recounting his experiences and his, observations 1o a representative of tho Herald, "while supplying me with abundance of information upon every de-. tail wore insistent upon my seeing every process and performing every operation invself. £ was tiskccl to tfiko nothing for granted, and at tho end of my first day in the open, I felt that I knew as much about tho practical part of the business as did tho old hands. It really is as simple as shelling peas. At my own request, Mr. Wolstouholrae, who was my tutor, looked out for country most resembling that likely to be found m New Zealand, and wo covered hundreds of miles by train and car in discovering districts fulfilling this condition. We visited farms and stations still over-run with rabbits, and others that had been cleared by tho Quayle process. Everywhere I was tactfully given opportunities to talk alone with owners and employers, and nowhere found anytliing but warm approval of tho process. When we finally returned to Sydney, Mr. Wolstonholnie, who had spared no effort in familiarising mo with the field work, suggested that I should go over tho gronnd again and hear what these people had to say in his absence. This, however, was quite unnecessary as I had seen the results with my own oyes, had taken a hand in the work entirely satisfied. " There can bo no possible doubt that, tho process is going to reduce tho rabbit pesfc in Australia to a minimum, and men who had been fighting the scourge for years and who had well-mgh despaired assured mo of this without tho slightest hesitation. There may bo parts of the country more difficult of access than ar >y I saw which may continue to harbour rabbits for a time; but the necessary equipment is so light and portable, that such places must be few and far between. A small land-owner may shoulder a knapsack with all tho necessary appliances and material and fumigate every burrow on his farm in a single day at the cost of a few shillings. Larger holdings, of course, require more labour and more material, but 'the cost still will be much less than that of any other process yet Before I left for Australia,said Mr. Saunders, "my principals specially impressed upon me tho importance of ascertaining whether there was a-ny truth in the stories that had been circulated, attributing all sorts of perils to the handling of calcium cyanide. I was directed to make this a vital part of my investigation. Following upon these instructions, I made inquiries'everywhere from people who wero using the material, and not in one single instance did I hear or any ill-effect having been suffered.