RABBIT PRESERVING IN SOUTHLAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5030, 11 June 1889, Page 3

RABBIT PRESERVING IN SOUTHLAND.

During a recent visit to Southland a mem* her of our staff was given an opportunity to look over the rabbit preserving factory at Woodlands, about 12 miles north of Invercargill. Ho found the scene exceedingly novel and interesting. Tho surroundings generally are not so gory as those of a “ boiling down,” such for instance as our “ sweet ” smelling Wushdyke used to be. Woodlands is made the centre depot for a very large tract of country. Tho rabbits passed through the factory arc all trapped, and piles containing thousands of dead bodies are practical lessons of what the rabbit scourge is to our southern neighbours. The dark cloud, however, has a silver lining, which is of standard purity and already coined. When tho rabbits roach the factory the first thing done is to remove tho skins an operation in which the hands have attained surprising skill, which must bo seen to bo appreciated. It reminds one of the saying, the quickness of tho hand deceives tho eye. On being removed the tkins have stitches put in them, and are then stretched bag-wise on a strong wire bent to oval shape, and hung up in tiers on racks in a large thed to dry. Afterwards they are baled and sent Horne. The carcase in the hands of the expert carvers is quickly made ready for the boilers. Iho cleaning is most thoroughly done, and the carcase is divided into six pieces, all of which are once more thoroughly cleansed before they are pat in the tins which have been previously made ready for them. In tinning care is taken to so place the joints, that no mutter which end of the tin is opened, the choicest meat at once meets the eye. As tinned and boiled at Woodlands rabbits make a very tasty dish, the flavor beingexcellent, and the jelly surrounding the meat clear and This is due to the great care exercised in the process of boiling, and the preparation of tho flesh generally. The tins used are of the various sizes, made familiar to us by operations at the Washdyke works, and not the least interesting room at Woodlands is that in which half a dozen tinsmiths are engaged, and a small machine is seen at work which stamps out tops and bottoms and cuts sides out of sheet tin at the rate of forty a minute. The factory is well arranged throughout, and though work at it is necessarily only carried on a few months in the year, is the means of distributing a largo sum of money in wages in the district —to those employed within the factory, trappers, and others. For the skins an unlimited demand is experienced, and the preserved rabbit is said to meet with a ready sale.