THE RABBIT PEST.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1227, 8 September 1911, Page 8

THE RABBIT PEST.

VIEWS OF MR,'E. CLIFTON. oomo interesting viev/s on the rabbit question were Riven by Mr. E. Qlifton, of. tho Agricultural Department, at the recent. A. and P. Association's conference. Tho rabbit, menace, said Mr. Clifton, was a very serious one, especially in the northern parts. The rabbit from the. south had passed behind the Enahino ranges; along the back of tho Haivke's Bay country, and tho rabbit from the north was coming south. Tho two armies were almost meoting in the Taupo country. The Hawke's -Bay■people 1 protected themselves many years ago by erecting a isbbit-proof fence on tho southern' side of their country, but they were not protected on tho west and' tho north. That Hand was under the control of the Hawke's !say Rabbit Board, and !ho rabbits were kept under very fairly.. . There had also 1 been formed an East Coast Rabbit Board; xwith tho idea of fencing round completely that very fertile part of New Zealand. So far a.s he .could, learn, however, there was no immediate intention l of going on with that fence. Tart of it would be 'difficult to construct and maintain, but it'was a pity tho board was not building the fence, for there was no other way of preventing ithe spread of rabbits, except than by rabbit-proof fencing. Speaking pcMrnlly of the King Country, afid the land adjoining Hawke's Bay, rabbits were to be found over a larger area than formerly, but they could not bo found in very, large numbers anywhere, chieflv owing to the good work dono by the staff '.of men working in that district, under the control of the Department'of Agriculture.' ' ' • . '•• •" Babbits, ho concluded, would go on spreading all over the country unless arrested by rabbit-proof' fencing, which was the best and cheapest mean's of controlling, thorn. When tho rabbits were fenced in, tho' best weapon was pollard poison,, and (he'Governmeiii was .preparing «nd selling tous of this every, year.