RABBIT EXTERMINATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 8

RABBIT EXTERMINATION.

V- : '?vvf POTBRTJ BAY,b6aRD. \. ■ .Twentj--eißlit : ; ';yenrs.'' : hgo ' Parliament. passed'the.Eabbjt Nuisance , Act. Under that; Act' the district

■may.'petition'/tEe/.Governor , :'to have: tho ineoesSary: steps itakenfoi , the '■ formation of a.rabbit;board. If , a majority of tho. etockownersViu.jthe .district.liavo- signed the/petition; this>'part ot:the.Act. is put 'into .'operation -forthwith; A roll of. stock- : owners in the district'is made, up, a date .is 'fixed.'for .them .to.elect a rabbit board, .-'and "the board:'is invested with full au.thbrity 'to' 'levy/rates on stockowners;. in ■ ;its-district .'for.- the purpose of carrying ■;putvthe- work of erecting, rabbit-proof 'fences, inspecting, properties, and forcing landowners-to exterminate their rabbits. Two .boards arc ' at' present in- existence : : under "the Act; one-in : North Canterbury, ■with; its- principal. field of operations in. , ; the Amnri; district, and. the other in •■; Hawke's''.Bay." :', TheV operations.; of. the '■ Hawke's 'Bay,-Board -have ■ bson"remarkably successful,-and this despite the fact that it has--been 'much- hampered by the ■ 'rough 'and- comparatively - inaccessible nature of N the country in inland Hawke's, 'Bay. '■. Away.backin.its early history the ' first big work .undertaken' by tW board .was the erection.'of a,rabbit-proof .fence, ; light across 'tho■southern boundary of the.province.. The object: of-this was\to ■inrqads'from tho Wairarapa. :,.- Now, 1 as has been briefly stated in Tiie Dominion, :tlie : Poverty' Bay settlers have petitioned' for a/'boaro 1 for ,their district, ■ and ; the first election .of members will takeiplace about. March. U. ;Poverty;Bay : is. at-present remarkably'free from rabbits, and, the, stockowhers there ; are de-

;;.r termined to time' _by; the• forelock : :and do everything .in" their power'' to kee'p ..the'-district.to. 'From.latest advices frpni :'j. the district/it appears that in the-south " .there :'are'isolated ' patches.'..of-. rabbits. .: : : The6e ; are:not thought , residents to be ,: : the" vanguard- of Van from ■ the ,'.'south, but-to:have'been separately intro- ,;. dnced by-Maoris,. rabbiters, and .others.. v.The .Maoris' are kindheiu'tedbeopie, very /fond '.of animals,,and.numbers' of ..coses ■•'• are- known'in. which, rabbits! have' been -4jcept as,pets byithe young fry, and have -been allowed, .to. escape: . .-As/stated- the : .other day/there is-a suggestion that: a - large forest reserve should - be .:■ made around,.Waikaremoana...-: From- a.tourist- ■ ; . PP'.nt; of .'view, this -would be .an asset ':■. to the", district, and -at- the same time it - would ■fpvai.--.a-- fairly 'impenetrable'■ rabbit' •"■f-Jit V v La '"'E e ;areas of ■' forest .have - been .. felled in Poverty .Bay, ■ nnd , it. is. on ■ this .-jew-:pastdral> country- that 'it is'feiired ■• : that .the ■ rabbit. may-.'get; too firhi" a" ..■hold.-. , -;' •■■''■ '■ -fV :.V. '.-.• ' •■'. ;, -■

:'- : . Up the. .coast from' Poverty' Bay' there : - are no rabbits for: some distance i'n from ;.-, the sea,. but.;the pest is".in .evidence in ', ;the rinland.: portions of ;■ the '-. district , along' ; its -.north-western , , and.. northern ■boun- , jariesi..-. the 'Government has been r.takmg w-'hand the.work of extermination l.ana.'a.largevmimber >of 'men have -been ■y- employed, auririg; tfc 1 time'of-year Vwhen-\-■.•poisoning;operations are most. effective, ~ and.wnen-it. is/no .use laying:poison -a: ■;, ...sufficient-staff.is maintained -to.carry' on ■ It iis J-repoVted ~ Irom, (jisborne, that a party of.-Pdvcrtv ■- :.-^- "'tiers, MVphaA .; ))een:.:interesring : ...theinselyes, iu; ; the, formation. of-the', new ... board, --Tecently made.'aUrip^up.riortlr;'and- ■; examined: a;large portion of Tths :coirntr'v- ., which is being dealt>ith by"thc-Govem-r.ment.i.X'liey..found theJ-work very-effi- ;: ,ciently carriedfoHt,'and.;it;was , noticed .-that, the r.abbits,,had.; been driven . some ..milesfurfhcrinland than they were a few-:,:-.ycars.'ago.. v - VJ ; : - , -''-';.:; : ■■,;■.■'. .:' ~ ; ■ :; : t T! 16 tod,, it is stated, will;pro- '. .bably; erect a* rabbit-proof fence on the ■ Bo.uthern.and'along- a 'portion of -the' -western boundary :■. of -, the district. -The' ■•■ -settlers-all seem-very, much alive to "their" ■ own interests, and' they no' doubt realise ■tpat the magnificent, pastures, 'of Poverty" ;;-Bay-'are well worth every protettion that '•■ is possible. This season, it is interesting ■ tb.nptein passing, the. district is suffer-- : ■ :, jnS. from'a too luxuriant growth offeed. : .■'■ The. grass-..has -been growing- /freely ■■•nil .:•■. through, the summer,' butj ; as is: often :the .' case,, the.sheep, -and ..particularly' the riambs, have not been doing"nearly so well. . as wheri-the food is drier,: and w"ith more ; fattening;substance in'it.'.Such a^season -.as Poverty,'Bay:has-'been having is'just' .the thinß.,for,dairy .cattle, but ;the grass . is a deal- too' lush and irioist to get the .beat: results with sheep.: ••'.:"■ .. ■■> . ; " :', Ile.verting- once . more . to: the ■ rabbit _; question,;.mbst people-will have forgotten ' that awayrback in the-early'.days, of the .Act, 'Wairarapa had a Rabbit Board of its ■;'• own. One.'pr two , ' other.; districts'also had. .boards for '.lengths-fof ! time, but .;■ from one cause-'and-'..another .all. fell j.vthroughv.-ln 'Wairaraua'..'there-, was too ..great a-diversity 'of 'inferests; at the time ■ .for settlers'to' pull together on'the.rabbit fluestion'."'- There are those, however, who '~:think that. Wairarapa.. might :now very •.,' well;: follow , '.Poverty . .Bay's example. '-.Settlersyjii tho district have, been inclined to ,lqok';upon the' rectht,increase in the .. ■•-, much. too lightly, .> it .• is •'> con--' .-■: tended. ;\ Now ,that, some of; the negligent parties.afe;being prosecuted, stock-owners ; ina'y, s howe'ver, be stirred , un into" renewed /activity-rfor.a time at- any' rate.. .- ''..•.