CYANIDE FOR KILLING RABBITS.

Evening Star, Issue 11725, 7 April 1902, Page 5

CYANIDE FOR KILLING RABBITS.

Inspector Dcwling, Forbes (N.S.W.), in furnishing information at the request of the Chief Inspector of Stock with respect to the use of cyanide for destroying rabbits, makes tho following report:—The directions i'or mixing are: soz cyanide, 101b pollard; 21b bran, and 4gal of water. Mix the same as phbsphoriscd pollard. The cyanide is easily dissolved in water, and no sweetening is required. The cyanide must be dissolved first by putting it into the water to bo used, and stirring with a stick for a minute or two, and care must be tak«n not to inhale tho fumes of prussic acid which it contains. For merely poisoning water, the same quantity or less will do. When this medium is used it should bo put out at once, as it evaporates quickly. 11 kills rabbits instantly. It, is better to keep to phosphorus or arsenic, which aro more effective, and not so dangerous to the persons mixing them, and again it evaporates quickly, and is not so deadly if allowed to remain long unused. I should not recommend it, only as a change of bait, and in experienced hands. While on this topic I may state that it is a. good thing to add to phosphoriscd or arsemcated pollard about 2oz or 3cz of cinnamon, just to give the rabbit a varied diet. If one kind of bait is continuously used, rabbits get sick of it, and will leave it untouched, but by varymg the bait a big haul is got every time. There is no comparison between phosphorus and arsenic. It is well to use arsenic just at harvest time, or when a fire is likely to make havoc, and this is only for careless peoples use. Tho results are nothing like what is obtained from phosphorus.