THE RABBIT PEST

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 105, 3 April 1929, Page 2

THE RABBIT PEST

WHAT MANAWATU BOARD HAS ACCOMPLISHED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) V FOXTON, April 1. Quito frequently we hear quoted the saying that the man who makes two blades of grass grow where only one grew previously is a public benefactor. The old adage is certainly true and based on this fact alone the Manawatu Rabbit Board has proved itself to be a local body which Has more than justified its constitution. Everyone in Foxton and district is familiar with the conditions which obtained a few years ago in regard to tho rabbit nuisance along this coast. The, higher, sandy country throughout the district teemed with rabbits to the consequent detriment of tho grass lands and the ridges were either eaten or poisoned bare. To-day quite different conditions obtain. What was formerly bare ridge country is now covered with grass and, speaking generally, of feed there is an abundance. This, of course, cannot be attributed solely to the eradication of the rabbit as top-dressing has played an important part in farm work on the sandy country around Foxton of late years, but neverthe- ' less great credit is duo to the Manawatu i Rabbit Board for the wonderful improvement it has effected in clearing the country of rabbits. The board’s district comprises 85,906 acres with 711 rateable properties and 723 ratepayers. The rating is on the acreage basis and the total capita! value of the area is £1,188,831. The first rate struck was 2d per acre, but this amount has been steadily reduced until this year it stands at id per acre. Recently the “Standard’s” representative made a tour of inspection of the board’s district in company of the inspector and was able to interview a number of the settlers. After leaving the borough of Foxton an inspection was made of properties within half a mile of the town, which in years gone by had been well-known shooting areas for local sportsmen and tho homo r.f hundreds of rabbits. Not a rabbit was to be seen in this locality, nor were there any signs that the pest were in habitation there. Burrows long since occupied are now grown over and of young grass there is an abundance. Tho inspector said that these properties had not had a rabbit on them for the last two years, but some indication of tho number that were formerly there may be gauged from tho fact that 487 rabbits were taken off 60 acres in one poisoning in this locality when the board was first constituted. Continuing along the Hiinatangi Road, the inspector reported the Native property at Motuiti and the properties on the Round Bush side of tho road “all clear.” On the Hiinatangi estate quite recently a Government inspector spent two days going over the property accompanied by a terrier dog and during that time he failed to put up a single rabbit. Following the road around to Bainesse an inspection was made of various properties which, some years ago, were notorious for the number of rabbits they carried and shooting pafties from Palmerston North and elsewhere frequently camped on these properties for week-ends and went home with large bags of rabbits. A certain Native property in this part of the district was one of the worst the inspector had to contend with and kept two trappers going for many years prior to the board coming into existence and was used merely as a winter grazing area. To-day it is currying a dairy herd alt the year round. It was here that Mr Whyte was met. He was glad to see the inspector because he was worried over a rabbit that l had made its appearance on his property and which was proving to be somewhat elusive. He had located its burrow, however, and it was agreed that the inspector should drop, a spoonful of cyanide in the burrow one day when passing. “No, you won’t find many rabbits about here,” said Mr Whyte, “in fact the Natives coinplain that they can’t get lono for a pie now.” Mr Whyte had been in possession of a particularly bad piece of land when tho board was constituted, but ho had realised ihe benefits that would accrue from rabbit extermination and took the matter up in the .right ..spirit and thoroughly poisoned Ins farm, and when ho found he had some poison ov&r he just went right over it again and gave them a double dose. After leaving Mr Whyte’s property an inspection was made of Mr H. Bond’s property between Bainesse and Rangiotu, which is now carrying from ten to fifteen more cows than it did prior to the board being set up. From Bainesse the journey was made through to Taikorea via Pike’s Line, which was once famous for its rabbits, but it is now all clear. At Taikorea an inspection was made of a ridge off which, in the spring of 1924, 2600 rabbits were taken. It is a commanding ridge running through low-lying property from Cooper’s Line to connect up with the Taikorea Road near the drain. Even after this large number of rabbits had been taken off the property they were almost as thick as they had been before, but with systematic bi-sul-phido and cyanide poisonings the rabbits have almost been exterminated. The ridge, onee bare, has now plenty of feed on it, while there was not a trace of rabbits in a turnip paddock adjoining the ridge. It was in this locality that the inspector carried out two demonstration poisons for the benefit of settlers during the early part of the board’s existence. The demonstrations were highly successful and had the effect of convincing tho farmers of the effectiveness of poisoning by. methods approved by the board as means of rabbit extermination. The board’s boundary follows Cooper’s Line to Glen Oroua and thence down Glen Oroua Board to the cross road, which is a continuation of Kellovv’s Lino to the Rongotea Road and on to the tram line. At Rongotea Siding rabbits were also very numerous a few years ago and 350 were taken off a small ridge near here at one of the initial poisonings. The boundary connects up with the Rangitikei River from Rongotea Siding and an inspection of the northern end of the district was made via Campion’s Line. Mt. Victoria at the cross roads of Campion’s and Frecklington’s Line is the outstanding piece of country around here. It i 6 a very high sand hill and was literally honeycombed with burrows and the home of thousands of rabbits. At first it was though that the wholo hill would have to be wire netted before any good would result from any operations carried out on it. Systematic poisonings, however, had the desired effect and to-day the hill is in very fair condition, although its face is marked and scarred with hundreds of old burrows, over which the grass has almost grown, giving it a target liko appearance. Mr J. Powell’s property lies just to the east of Mt. Victoria and the owner was busy discing his lucerne paddock when the inspector dropped in. He said , that. tho. board was doing good work. Prior to tho board’s constitution, said Mr Powell, it had been impossible to carry any more than 22 cows on his property! Now he was able to carry 32. Top-dressing, of course, was responsible for the greater number of those" and lie estimated that five were due to top-dressing and two to rabbit eradication. “A great benefit to be derived fdom ridding a property of rabbits,” continued Mr Powell, “is that the eariy spring feed is saved. When my property was. infested with rabbits I was never able to get any feed off that ridge,” indicating a low ridge running through hia property, “but now, as you can see, there’s feed to burn there. The expenditure incurred in eradicating the pest has been well worth it, but. it is essential that all the farmers should work together in the matter.” Mr Powell said that two young men had taken 378 rabbits off 85 acres of his property just before the board was started in one poisoning and then they did - not get anywhere near all the rabbits. Mr Powell is a champion of bi-sul-phide poisoning and considers the “dust” far the best method of “settling” a warren. One burrow he “dusted” successfully was fully 25ft. long. Another warren of 20 holes which he had treated had never been opened, every rabbit having been caught and killed by the deadly fumes. Mr Powell admitted that he often went home of an evening -after fumigating burrows on a windy day with a splitting headache but he thought it was worth that to get rid of the rabbits. An inspection was made of the Rangitikei. River bed after leaving Mr Powell's property and this area is at present causing the inspector a. good deal of worry. It was here that there was seen the first

and only rabbit during the tour. The river bed lands comprise some 5000 acres of the most difficult country to handle. Peculiarly enough, pit was hero that the rabbits were first introduced into this district. Originally black, they were placed on an island in the river for sporting purposes, but with the vagaries of the Kangitikei its islands are not always islands and, to put it ill the words of one of the best know settlers ill the Carnarvon district “one morning we woke up and found the country swarming with rabbits.” A pollard poisoning is at present being carried out in the Rangitikoi River bed and the inspector intends to concentrate on this area until some check can be made in tho pest. From the Rangitikei River an inspection was made of Tangiinoana Road and tho Carnarvon. Many tales have been told of tho great numbers of rabbits that have teemed over this country, but it is authentic that after trappers had taken 6000 rabbits off one property in this locality the rabbits were still very plentiful. Since tho poisoning started 650 rabbits were taken off 700 acres on Tangimoana Road in one morning and now the whole countryside is practically clear. A call was made at Mr S. VV. Curran’s property on the Tram Line. Mr Curran is a hard worker and takes a keen interest in his farm. “No, ho had no grouse against tho board,” ho said. Somo people were grousing, though, because thero were no rabbits to shoot. Personally, ho had not been altogether in favour of the board at the first because ho had been of the opinion that work was being carried out to eradicate tho pest by trappers and others, but ho had found that it was not until the professional trappers had been got rid of that any benefit accrued. The Manawatu Rabbit - Board was certainly doing good work and rabbit eradication was a good thing. There was no question about it, many of the ridges throughout the properties had been poisoned by the rabbits, but now they were covered with feed. By ridding a property of rabbits more cows could be carried and tho property improved as a result. ... Proceeding down the Tram Lino in the direction of Foxton tho next most interesting locality is that known as Clay Pit Corner, at the corner of tho Tram Line and Taikoroa Road. Tho property bounding the Taikoroa Road kept two men busy rabbiting all thp year round a few years ago. Now, after strychnine and pollard poisonings, it is clear country. Eight hundred acres off Taikoroa Road produced 2700 rabbits in one poisoning. Mr H. Stratford, who now has tho old Hammond homestead at Oroua Downs, and who has spent a useful life on various farms throughout Wellington, Manawatu and Taranaki districts, knows something about farming and is able to express a considered opinion in regard to rabbit eradication. Tho formation of tho Manawatu Rabbit Board was one of tho best things that ever happened to this district, to Ins mind. .He had been in possession of a four hundred acre property in tho Hima-tangi-Bainesso block a few years ago which used to bo alive with rabbits. A poisoning carried out under instructions from the board had resulted in 800 rabbits being taken out of ono littlo valley in the property. Rabbits were of no use to any farm, although in days gone by many a farmer had mado his freehold out of them. They were often responsible for tho starting of sand drifts and ho had known of many an animal sustaining a broken, leg by stumbling in a burrow! “A rabbit is now becoming a rarity,” said Mr Stratford.” Tho other day I saw one near Rangiotu,” And Mr Stratford has to pass through what was ono of tho worst infected areas to reach Rangiotu. Mr Stratford said that some of the farmers wero somewhat antagonistic to tho inspector at the beginning. They could not see why they should employ a man to “shako them up” about their rabbits. They had overcome that feeling now and were of the opinion that tho inspector was only doing bis duty and endeavouring to help them. The board had been responsible for tho excellent state of the district at present and was doing good work. It was littlo short of marvellous the way they had cleared the cover country around Oroua Downs. When ho first went to tho Downs he had boon greatly concerned over tho number of rabbits thero, but ho no longer entertained any fears about them.