The Rabbit Question.—Reply to "settler." TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2424, 30 August 1900, Page 16

The Rabbit Question.— Reply to "settler." TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — I looked anxiously at the Witness this week for a reply to " Settler." As there is none, and as apme of his assertions should not be allowed to go unchallenged, I should like an opportunity to reply. Starting with, perhaps, the least important — namely, " five, or to be within the mark six rabbits, eat as much as one sheep." This is on a par with the fable that a man weighs more before a feed than afterwards. Seeing a rabbit's paunch or stomach is the size of a pear, and a sheep's paunch the size of two footballs, "Settler's" bump of proportion must be represented by a pimple on the back of his head. Five poor little bunnies forced to undertake this feat — eat as much as a sheep ! Poison or any other method would be superfluous. As one who has studied (unfortunately, perhaps) the habits of bunny for the last 25 years, I positively assert that it takes between 30 and 40 full-grown winter rabbits to eat as much as one sheep. At the time of year of whioh "Settler" writes — the summer months — when the majority of the rabbits are the size of rats, 70 or 80 would be well within the mark. So if ."Settler" is keeping 300 more ewes, and keeping the rest of his sheep fit for the butcher I don't wonder at his enriching the revenue to the extent of £25. Ground treated iai £h§ sianuer lie writes abfliii has

never been successful anywhere else. As a fearful example — Earnscleugh. I myself mad& M a week during the trapping season on groundf treated exactly similarly. One of the besti known methods of rabbit destruction is the! soft-soap method, the soap to be administered! to the inspectors, not the rabbits. 1 think; " Settler" could tell us the best way for layingjit on. No one objects to poisoning. WhatC they object to is poisoning during the trapping for export season. As there are eight or nina months clear outside of this season, it must? indeed be pure cu&sedness to lay it then, see^ ing perhaps thousands of people depend onJ the freezing sea&on for their daily bread. — E am, etc., TRAPPER. August 20.