THE RABBIT PEST.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 26, Issue 1337, 10 August 1895, Page 3

THE RABBIT PEST.

Those who maintain that the rabbits are really a blessing to the country will find it somewhat difficult to explain away the tables just published by Mr James Cowan in the Cromwell Argus, which show a very serious loss in keeping down the rabbits on Kawaru and Northburn Stations during the five years ending March 31, 1895.

On Kawarau Station the average number of men employed was no less than 59, who were paid £17.345 18s 5d for 2,295.402 skins. These were sold for £11,684 7s lOd, thus causing a loss to the station of £5661 10s 7d. Adding to this £lllß 12s Od for carriage, &c., the total loss reached the surprising total of £6780 2s 7d or £1358 0s 6d per annum. On the Northburn Station the number of men employed was 12, and the total loss on five years' skins was £938 5s 6d, or £lB7 13s Id per annum.

It must be remembered that these'figures only give the direct loss. The indirect loss on many stations must be far greater, as will be Teadily seen when it is remembered that in many cases the carrying capacity is not nearly half what it was before rabbits overran the country. Nor is this all, we must, to get the total loss, allow for the large decrease in the works of shearing, carrying, shipping, manufacturing, and finally, distributing, when it will be readily seen that nearly every avenue of commerce is more or lsss effected by the presence of bunny.