NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Rabbit Povons.

Once more bunny’s coat is worth having, but first he has to be caught and skinned and his pelt tanned, and later perhaps marketed as a super musquash or coney-seal, as fashion may decree. The trouble is how best to secure his “'hide.” The following recipes have been tried, and, provided the directions are carefully attended to, will send to his long sleep the toughest rabbit now roaming the hills. In using strychnine the greatest of care is necessary. It is most important, too, that, free feeding of unpoisoned baits should be practised for at least two nights in succession, laid, say, in scrapes or furrows freshly made. ihe bait.' in free feeding should be similar to those which are poisoned, and should be laid in the same way. if the baits free from poison are well taken, the poisoned carrots can be laid the third day. The poisoned baits should bo laid from about ISin to 6ft apart, according to the infested state of the land. It is preferable to lay the poisoned baits in the afternoon, and if rain comes on and the result is spoiled in consequence, they should be immediately relaid when the weather is again fine, ’l he mode of preparing the poison is as follows:—To loz of powdered strychnine add loz of icing sugar, and after thoroughly mixing this add one teaspoonful of clear water, again stirring until a paste is formed. When ready to commence laying have your carrots clean, but not. washed. Out the carrot straight across the top, and with an old clean tableknife thinly smear round the top of tile carrot with a very little of the poison paste, and immediately commence slicing off the baits so that each bait will have at least a smear of the poison. When all the smeared j'-art is cut from the carrot, again apply the paste as before. The baits should be thin, not more than thick and about Jin across. Note that each bait only requires a very small portion of the poisonous paste smear. All slock should be removed before -poisoning commences, and if many poisoned baits are left after three or four days they should be gathered up and buried. Poisoned rabbit carcases should also be buried in order to ensure the safety of dogs. The use of oats and brown sugar with strychnine has been tried out by Mr W. Wilson, who says, inter alia (Journal of Agriculture): “I used 151 bof oats to 31b of sugar, boiling both together until the oats were soft, and then draining off any surplus water. This mixture J laid for four days, and found that the rabbits cleaned up the baits every night. Orr the 9th and 10th I laid the oats poisoned with strychnine, using loz of strychnine to 201 b of boiled oats" and sugar. From off about 150 acres treated some 700 rabbits were picked up, the rabbits being outplayed and ‘counted out.’”

Horse Pulling Contests.

Two Shire geldings, belonging to the Liverpool Corporation at the Shire Horse Show in London, m February, pulled 182 tons on granite setts in a slimy road covered with snow and rain. On tan Vesuvius and Umber pulled 6 tons 14Acwt, on granite setts 18i tons, on wood blocks 18 tons 13cwt. Sir Walter Gilbey offered to give £-00 to the Agricultural Benevolent Society if any other horse society can produce two horses to move a heavier weight. The writer of this column trusts that no owner of Clydesdales will take up the challenge. There seems to be little of merit in these pulling contests now that mechanical-driven transports have proved their value in removing heavy loads. Far better let the mechani-cally-driven waggon or tractor do this risky work. The horse can hold his own on shorter and lighter deliveries, hut the motor wins for long distances and heavy loads. It is an age when quality counts, and no longer should they be required to do “ bullocky ” work. To move 18g tons for a short distance on specially-made roads is not a matter in these days of tractor haulage which should warrant encouragement, as the commercial value of such a feat is very questionable, besides being at great risks to pur equine friends. A ring of geldings will compel the admiration of anyone who loves a good horse, but not an exhibition which jeopardises the commercial value of a draught horse. There is room for both motor transports and draught horses, and their range of work should not conflict one with another.

Flowers Lotring their Scent.

Some of our readers may scout the idea of flowers losing- their scent, through any agency of man, and yet what has become of the fragrant musk known to most of us? There is a' plant which resembles this old favourite, but it lacks its secret. It is possible that, as time wears on, that many of our cultivated plants will lose their Bcent to a very great degree. If once eliminated there

is an end of the species, for the perpetuation of the plant depends upon its scent to attract insects whose visits effect the necessary fertilisation of the blooms. Florists do away with the scent of a flower by increasing its colour and size, and all the energy of the plants is used in making up this extra substance. The cultivated plant finds it does not need to perpetuate itself by attracting insects, as man does not waste time and labour producing perfume which is not required. That scent is Nature’s means of fertilisation is proved by the fact that flowers that are wind-fertilised, or attract insects by their brilliant colouring, have no scent.

Phesphor:sed Wheat or Oats.

Give the rabbits something they can relish in the shape of a tasty poison and everyone is pleased. How about the following flavoured morsels? Tlie recipe is taken from the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, and in the days when Brer Rabbit’s pelt was of no value did great execution:—Place 60lb of wheat or oats in a revolving machine. On a fire close at hand place two buckets of water, one containing 2gal and the other 1 jgal. When the water has been brought to the boil, into the ligal put 4-lb of sugar and 41b (four sticks) of phosphorus. Stir slowly for three or four minutes until the ingredients are dissolved. Then pour the mixture into the machine, and add the water from the other bucket as quickly as possible. Close the lid and turn slowly for about half an hour. If the machine has not then cooled sufficiently to allow the hand to be held upon it, pour a bucket of cold water over it and turn for a few minutes longer, when the desired temperature will be obtained. Four hours afterwards the maohine should be turned for another 10 minutes, and again turned for the same time immediately before opening to remove the poison, which should be at the expiration of 24 hours. Do not keep the poisoned grain for more than two days before laying it. If it is desired to use salt instead of sugar, to 601 b of grain will be sufficient.

EXPORT OF POTATOES. THE AUSTRALIAN EMBARGO TO BE REMOVED. OAMARU, May 15. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. w. Nosworthy) made a statement regarding the Australian embargo on potatoes after the official opening of the North Otago Winter Show tp day. He said that while in Australia lately the Director-General of Agriculture (Dr Reakes) had discussed with the Australian authorities the question of an embargo. As a result of the discussions which had taken place the Victorian Government had decided that it would be willing for New Zealand potatoes to be admitted -under certain conditions, which may be summarised *s follows: —That provision be made by regulation under the* Federal Quarantine Act to allow the admission of New Zealand potatoes if they are accompanied by a Government certificate of having been examined and found free from powdery scab or other scheduled disease; also that they have been grown on a farm or farms on which a special inspection has shown no indication of the existence of powdery ucab for a period of 12 months. Inspection at port of entry will he provided for, and it may be that growers will be required to stencil their names on the hags. When Dr Reakes left Australia, said the Minister, the matter was in the hands of the commonwealth authorities, and he had very good reasons for hoping that it would go through all right.