The Rabbit Pest

Otago Witness, Issue 1682, 16 February 1884, Page 14

The Rabbit Pest

According to the Palmewton Times, an old gamekeeper named Ashton, who had 20 years' experience in England, has expressed the belief that the tuberculosis spoken of as being present in rabbits here is similar to a disease he had observed in the Old Country, which broke out amongst the rabbits there after a long duration of wet weather, and which he attributed to their eating so much damp food. The disease, however, generally attacked very young and half-grown rabbits ; but he did not seem to think that it was contagious, or had any perceptible effect in decimating their numbers. Hares were also subject to the disease when the seasons were very wet. Of course, as with the rabbits here, the liver became affected, and while it was deemed not advisable to eat rabbits when attacked with the disease, they generally appeared to recover with dry weather. According to the opinion of Mr Ashton, the disease which has broken out amongst the rabbits he*re tallies more with that given by Dr De Lautouv, and that the mortality from it is not likely to be very great, nor is there any fear of Bheep or cattle taking the disease.

At 'last monthly meeting of tho Wyndham Farmers' Club, held on the 6th inst., the Chairman submitted the following resolutions, which had been prepared by a committee, and they were approved of after several , slight amendments-*-" The Wyndham Farmers' Club is of opinion that the Rabbit Act as at present administered is Unsuited and inadequate to cope with the rabbit nuisance, and recommends the following suggestions : (1) That the powers of the Rabbit Act be vested in County Councils. (2) That the County Councils be empowered to appoint inspectors over ( such areas as they may deem requisite for efficient control. (3) That .the counties have power to levy an increased rats on all lands within the county, both Crown and private, sufficient to meet the expenses of working the Rabbit Act." It was also moved that the Government sanction the addition of a small rate for the introduction of the rabbit's natural enemies as a means to check the nuisance. An amend ment was movo'd to the contrary, but waa lost by one vote. The secretary was instructed to get 50 circulars containing tho resolutions, and forward them to all the farmers' clubs in the Middle Island, or, where no club exists, the agricultural society.

The meetings convened by Mr Mileß, rabbit inspector, in Vincent County, have been held in the various centres, the purpose being to secure united action on the part of landowners and runholders. We take the following particulars from the report in the Cromwell Argus : — At the meeting at Blacks, Mr J. Stronach, of Matakanui, waa in the chair. Mr Mileu having explained the object of the meeting, the Chairman, in a very practical address, explained the magnitude of the question they were met to discuss, and urged upon all interested the necessity of united and continuous action against the pest. In reply to a question as to how poison should be mixed, tb,e chairman 3tatedthat from practical experience he found the following mixture to work — viz., l£lb phosphorus to every 1001b of grain (wheat preferred), with a little salt, tho mixture to ba kept thoroughly airtight until required tor use ; when, removed, to be put in kegs, as if put in bags it lohos its strength. The following suggestions also met with approval: That runholders shpuld supply small landowners with poisoned grain at first cost, and that publicity through the local papers should bo given by the inspector when all are required to start poisoning, The loilowing motion was carried unauimously : — "That it is desirable that poisoning should commence on May 1, 1884, and that after the poisoning season is over the rabbits should be kept down by dogs, shooting, &c, and simultaneous action be taken on' all boundaries."

At the Clyde meeting several gentlemen agreed to start together on their boundaries on dates ranging from March 15 to May 1, 1884, and continue as long as rabbits would take the poison, afterwards trap, shoot, &c. At the Cromwell meeting it was agreed that poisoning begin about April 15, .tbis being carried against an amendment for May J,