THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1240, 4 September 1875, Page 18

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Now that the extermination of rabbits is being talked of in New Zealand, it is interesting to know what is being done with the bunnies in the neighbouring colonies. Rabbit-preserving at the Colac Factory is thus described in the Geelong Times :—": — " About 50 hands are employed, the quantity turned out being about 8000 tins per week, although the factory is capable of reaching 10,000. The accounts of recent home sales show a redaction in the English value of rabbits, so that it is only by conducting operations on a large scale, and yet using the most careful and economical management, that a profit can be realised on the preservation. The skins are either sold in Melbourne or exported. It is both instructive and amusing to watch the process the rabbits have to go through from the time of skinning until the tins are ready for market. The skinning department is situated at the south end of the building, from which the skins are removed by boys and hnng upon frames to dry. The bodies are chopped x.p, and submitted to a scalding process in a large tub, by means of steam, and are then carried on to the filling-in branch, from which they are passed on in the tins to the solderers. They are then put in the preserving-room, where the temperature is at a particular point, and kept for a certain time steaming, and then removed further on to the testing-room. They are then painted and packed, and sent out, labelled and shining, into market.

Sale op Shorthorns in America. — An American paper says : — At Bloomington, Illinois, April 2<>, the Forest Hill herd of Shorthorns were sold — the property of Mr J. H. Spears. The lirst animal offered was the 21st Duke of Airdrec, led into the ring "amidst breathless silence." He was knocked down to Mr Charles E. Lippencott for £2100. Several other animals realised high prices, amongst which were London Duchess 13th, sold to Mr S. W. Jacobs, of West Liberty, Indiana, for £l>4o! The bulls, on the whole, reached but moderate prices. The average was, cows £229 odd ; bulls, £250. On the previous day, also at Bloomington, the Shorthorn cattle — the property of Messrs Smith, Duncan, Nicholls, and Frink — were sold, when Mazurka of Lyndale fetched £365, Princess 2nd £400, and an Oxford Gwynne £290,

English Shorthorns for New Zealand. — We learn that Mr Brydon, a native of the Perthshire Highlands, recently came to his native country and is making purchases here for the New Zealand Land Company. Last week he bought a very promising Shorthorn bull and two heifers from Mr Hugh Aylmer, We3t Dereham Abbey, Norfolk. The price of the bull, we believe, is 150 guineas, and that of the heifers 80 guineas each. Since then Mr Brydon bought two bulls and a few heifers from the Duke of Northumberland. He also made some selections of sheep from Mr Aylmer's excellent flock, and is .now in the North with the view of obtaining some specimens of the polled Angus breed for export to New Zealand along with the above. — North British Agriculturist, June 10.

The Age of Sheep is ascertainable by examining the state of their teeth. In their second year they have two broad teeth, in their third year four, in their fourth six, and in their fifth eight broad teeth before. After this no one can tell how old a sheep is while its teeth remain, except by their being more or less worn down. About the end of one year rams, wethers, and all young sheep lose the two fore teeth ; at 18 months the two teeth next to the former also fall out ; and at three years, being all replaced, they are all even, and generally very white. But as the animals advance in age the teeth become loose, blunt, and afterwards black.

Shearing. — One of our large sheepgrowers, says the San Benito (California) Advance, tells ns that the practice of annual shearing will become more general than it has been in California, as the six months' clip is too short to fetch a satisfactory price among wool buyers. The growing demand seems to be for wool of long staple and weight, and advanced figures obtained, besides the ready sale it always commands, will induce many wool-growers to abandon the semi-annual clip, and follow the example of Hernandez and others of his county in shearing but once a year. Testing Wool.— The Indiana Farmer states that the quality of wool may be tested by taking a lock from the sheep's back and placing it on an accurately measured inch. If the spirals count from thirty to thirty-three in the space of an inch, it equals the finest Electoral and Saxony wool. The diminution of the number of folds to the inch shows inferiority.