HUGE LOSSES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11304, 1 September 1922, Page 10

HUGE LOSSES

RABBIT PEST IN N.S.W. BIG DISPLACEMENT OF STOCK. By Telegraph—Press Assn.-Copyright. . SYDNEY, August 31. The “Daily Telegraph’s’’ agricultural' editor, in a special article on the rabbit pest, says.: “The dominance of the rabbit over a great 'part of the best of New South Wales ha 3 again become a national problem. In nearly every, pastoral district of the central division and. the highlands of the eastern division, the rabbit is numerous, increasing, q.nd is treating the methods employed to check - the increase. The spread of the rabbit is the greatest curse of the country to-day, and is robbing the country of half of its possible pastoral wealth, and entailing enormous expenditure in the constant effort to keep it in check.” In condemning the fallacy that the rabbit should be respected for its commercial value) the writer adds: “Thirty million rabbitskins have been! sold so far this year in the Sydney market. That number of rabbits Would displace at least two million sheep. Hew many rabbits must the State be depasturing to the displacement of stock when that number of skins is sold at Sydney auctions alone P”