Letters.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1060, 23 June 1892, Page 29

Letters.

RE RABBIT FARMING. Sir,—Having seen D. C.’s latter in your issue of the 26th May laßk, and fully agree, ing with its contents, I was surprised to find P. R.’s communication bo much opposed, to the writer’s views. From my experience in Australia and New Zealand it is not only the actual food consumed by rabbits, but the quantity destroyed ; and while sheep will return in fertilising matter a proportion of what they take from the soil, rabbits act just the contrary. P. B. also considers an unlimited market is open for both skins and carcasses. Such is not the case. Largo stocks of tinned rabbits are now on hand at Home unsalable, and until some new use is found for the fur the demand is limited. Again the trial shipment of frozen rabbits is sent home from the South, may be truly called ‘ a dead failure ; ’ and I am afraid that as a commercial success P.B.’a suggestion would prove so also. As a philaotrophio movement at the expense of the Government and the sheep farmer In rabbit-infested districts, the scheme is admissible ; but I am somewhat doubtful if even ‘the submerged tenth,’ or as P. B. puts It, ‘the pining; thousands o’er the ooeau ’ would appreciafca frozen bunny, particularly when a better and! cheaper article of Oatend fame oan be ob-< tained in unlimited quantities. Allow mo* sir, to mention my own views on the ques* tion. While large tracts of country remains unsettled, while large unimproved runs arar. allowed to be held the pest will continue.. Introduce free selection, making immediate« clearing of land the chief condition. Let the 1 Crown take skins in Jieu of rent, and then instead of farming the vermin, its total destruction will be insured, and fruit andi dairy produoe, frozen cattle and sheep can b® sent Home to feed the ‘ pining thousands giving them better health and strength to assert their manhood than could be obtained from the insipid and nnnonrishlng bunny of New Zsaland. —I am, &0.,. C.L. Martinborough.