The Station

Otago Witness, Issue 1456, 11 October 1879, Page 5

The Station

SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYING BABBITS.

If the accounts that reach us of the deadly effect oa. the rabbits by the poisoned wheat that is being now scattered broadcast over the country be trno (remarks the Dunstan Timea), the occupation of the rabbit-shooter will soon be at an end, and the time expended by the County Council at its last meeting re the "Rabbit Nuisance Act" will be as wasted. We' are informed that wherever the wheat is scattered the dead rabbits are to be seen ia thousands, and that where a shooter could previously have bagged his hundreds a day, it is difficult now to get a shot. And, moreover, the isheep and lambs do not appear to notice it. We most certainly hope the accounts we hear are correct, as there is but little question, despite the thousands that were being shot daily, that had some other measure not been adopted for their annihilation, they would soon have had the entire country to themselves, m it would have been impossible for any other grass - eating animal to have lived." MrC. 0. Boyes, of Kawarau Falls statian, writes to the Wakatip Mail on the 27th ult., that he has tried the recipe, aud has found it highly successful. Mr Boye» Bays that he mixed the quantity named in the recipe and afterwards spread the prepared wheat broadcast over his large paddocks, and a few days afterwards had the satisfaction of seeing the animals lying dead by hundreds in all directions — in fact there did not appear to be a live " bunay " about at all. There is a large number of Californian quail and native game on the ground where the experiment was mado (says the Mail), but Mr Boyes says that he did not see one of them dead, and therefore concludes that, either the birds will not touch the grain or else that it is not injurious to them. But we hear some of his sheep dogs were killed through eating the dead rabbits. Mr Boyea states that there was one important omission in our directions, namely, that the phosphorous must be thoroughly dissolved in boiling water before putting in the wheat, and the mixture should be allowed te stand 30 hour,3 before pi sing it. As some of our readers to whom the recipe might be useful may not haTe a oopy, we reprint the same in an amended form, as follows : — To lOOlbs wheat, slightly crushed, add 10 gallons of water ; let it come to near boiling point, draw fire, put the wheat into a quarter- cask, add one pound sugar, one fluid cz oil of rhodium, mix well together; then add one pound phosphorus, which has been previously dissolved, in boiling water — use an iron eaucepan for this, not a tin. vessel (taking care to pour both in tqget er, thus'preventiug the phosphorus from blazinghup) •—stir the whole for twenty minutes, after which cover it up closely for 30 hours, and it will then be fit for use. Scatter the grain about where the rabbits feed, but not close to the mouths of the burrows. Be very oareful to keep»Hhe»p and other animals off the ground for about two week* afterwards. This will kill by thousands, both on the ground and in the burrows,