The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1907. DESTRUCTION OF RABBITS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13293, 23 May 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1907. DESTRUCTION OF RABBITS.

An interesting scientific experiment, with immense, practical 'potentialities, will be brought to an" abrupt conclusion if the Commonwealth authorities adopt the view of the South Australian Commissioners, who bluntly declare that it would be «, waste of time and money for Dr Danysz to proceed further with his virus experimentis for the extermination of rabbits. It is just about a year since the French .scientist came out to Australia at the invitation of leading pastoralists in order to establish the efficacy of a virus which he had discovered for destroying the great enemy of the grazier, and the result of his experiments on "Brouglition Islandwhere they were carried on for the purpose of preventing deleterious effects on other forms of life—has been awaited with the keenest interest, especially in New South Wales and Queensland. In the latter State, settlers and pastoraiists regard' the rabbit as a scourge fur worse than the drought, and can quota instances in which 10,000 arid 20,000 of the 'animals have been poisoned in a single liiglit upon one selection or station. To .such people tlie verdict of the South Australian' U»mjiiksioners will conw as a cruelil'.sapppintment. Likely enough, however, the | ustoralists will decline to abandon itiiuu: liately all hope of success fi'oni '-tlie metlnda of the scientist, who, it must be renumbered, has the support of Dr Tidswell, Government bacteriologist of New South Wales, who was appointed by the Federal Government to supervise . the experiments on Brought on Island. That the method is capable of producing a high rate of mortality among rabbits appears to have been'established beyond doubt-. Dr Danysz himself does not claim that it will clear " out every rabbit in the country, but k<* does claim that- it will effect such a reduction in the numbers of ithe pest as will make a substantial difference to the wealth ot' the pastoralists. Interviewed in Melbourne last week as lie was on his way back to Paris, lie took no. pessimistic view ol the result of his year's work. " I have fulfilled my promise," said the doctor. " I promised to bring out a disease which would kill the rabbits, and which would be quite harmless to other animals, and to birds as well. I have proved, on Broughton Island 1 , where the experiments were conducted under the 'Supervision of Dr Tidswell, that every rabbit which eats the bait containing the virus must die. And it will spread the disease amongst four, five, or ten other rabbits before it dies. Where the pesb is thickest the mortality will be greatest. What is more, a large percentage of the rabbits inhabiting the places occupied by their deceased brethren will become infected and die. Thus the death-roll will mount up to millions. I dbn't say it is possible to clear the country of them alto- / gether, but my virus will reduce them by ,at least 50 per cent. That would mean ; that where there are 20 rabbits on one acre T)f ground, the reduction of the i number to 10 woidd enable another slieep ] to live. Double the number of sheep and you double the wealth the present lot represent. I am told that sheep are worth £15,000,000 to New South Wales. Double that, and you get £30,000,000. That is what my virus will give to the country—another £15,000,000." It is only fair to say that Professor Anderson Stuart, of the Sydney University, who has followed the experiments with close ' attention, declines to admit the accuracy of this claim, which is discounted—in the popular mind at all events—by the fact that there was a serious outbreak of disease among the experimental staff. Dr Danysz ascribed this to zinc poisoning, due to the use of rain water collected in iron tanks from iron roofs, but the incident) undoubtedly did much" to confirm the popular fear that the introduction and propagation of a germ fatal to regiments of rabbits, "must constitute a menace to human health and the lives of other dumb animals. It may be on this account that the Commissioners have framed their adverse report, though it is also probable that considerations of a less exalted naturu I have assisted the condemnation of the scheme. some parts of the Commonwealth, has attained the rank of an industry, and labour politicians have hot been slow to denounce anything that seemed likely to ruin the occupation of a portion of their following. Tlie outcry from this source has no doubt prejudiced the chances of the scheme being given a fair chance to prove itself in tho conditions and circumstances in which it would have to be used if it was to be of practical benefit to the pastoralist and grazier, and it will not bo surprising if no more is heard of the proposal to transfer the experiments from Broughton Island to the mainland.