| Show AUSTJJALiAS RABBIT PEST The Devastation Caused by the Longeared Rodents The rabbit pest in Victoria Australia has been made the subject of a recent report by ConsuGeneral James M Morgan and the facts presented are both astonishing and alarming It is doubtful whether many persons are aware of the immense loss that has been sustained in this colony says the report through the ravages of the rabbits rab-bits but it is an undoubted fact that as much as 24OCO has been expended to clear one estate and keep the pests under un-der and in many others it has cost owners large sums from 15000 downwards down-wards In addition to the expense incurred by private owners shire councils and the government in destroying the pests the great depreciation in the value of land and its grazing capabilities capabili-ties has to be considered For instance the stony rises consisting of about 20 000 acres and surrounded by some of the finest grassland in Victoria has been rendered of little value except for rabbits the owners of the land obtaining obtain-ing a small rental from trappers and about 4000 acres were some while back disposed of at the low figure of 10 s ill ings per acre In the discussions in the colonial parliament on the introduction of the late Mallee pastoral leases act it was cleirly pointed ou that the country 12OOD 000 acres affected by the bill had been rendered almost useless use-less and uninhabitable through the damage caused by the ruthless invader Stations on which smiling homesteads fine orchards and other improvements had a few years back existed were fallen into ruin and deserted by all liv i were except the rabbits Here where the grass and salt bush in 1875 were sufficient for nearly 700000 sheep enough did not grow in 1882 for one seventh of that number the loss during the past five years being estimated as at least threequarters of a million sterling ster-ling besides 40000 decrease to government govern-ment in rents and 20000 expended in destroying the pests To illustrate the damage here 1 cannot do better than attach the particulars given of a few stations in the above discussion Year 1877 Bruin Station carried 3G 000 sheep rental 500 in 1879 10000 run abandoned i relet under grwz ntj license for 56 Wonga and Nipo mica carrying 20 COO sheep rental 400 noW not a sheep on the run which was also abandoned and reef for 20 Lake Hindmarsh carried in 1877 33000 i sheep i lost 25000 In two years rent 700 now 72 Corong 1877 36000 sheep now 3000 rent 1050 now 150 and several others were mentioned men-tioned as being in an equally bad position posi-tion tionn Jin the years 1875 and 1S7C the production produc-tion of wool in the Mallee country was about5000 bales value 100000 In 1882 j this had fallen to 900 bales worth say 18000 Eighteen runs in this district 1 in the year of 1878 yielded 1700bales in 1882 only 332 bales The runs were all abandoned and the land held from government gov-ernment under grazing leases at an almost al-most nominal rent by persons who trusted that something would be done to improve the tenure under which the land could be held and give them an opportunity and sufficient inducement to endeavor by combined action to destroy des-troy the rabbit past and render the and once more fit forprofitable occupa tion Whether the lengthened tenure now given to this part of the colony will enable en-able the desired result to be achieved remains to be seen During the past three years the government gov-ernment has expended about 30000 in Victoria on the extirpation of the rabbit rab-bit the principal means used being poison such phosphorizcd oats and wheat arsenic mixed with bran and chaff and bisulphide of carton The various shire councils in the badlyinfected districts have also i i adopted similar means though in the majority of cases the rabbit act has not been strictly enforced many of the shires not being in a position to incur the extra expense necessary to do so In addition to the means above mentioned men-tioned the councils have arranged for i the purchase of rabbit skins or ears and scalps and have been assisted by the i government to the extent of a bonus of 3d per dozen on all skillS or ears and scalps purchased by them From reports re-ports published at various times in the papers and inquiries made the number of rabbits destroyed has been considerable consider-able at least 157000 dozen equal to 1 884000 scalps and cars and skins being paid for in less than two years the St Armand and Swan Hill shires being the largest purchasers In the Cohic and Camperdowii district dis-trict a preserving factory was started some few years back and operations carried on with vigor the factory working work-ing each year for about sis months from March to October and during that period purchasing from 750000 to 1000000 rabbits the price paid being about 2s Gd per dozen These rabbits are nearly all obtained from the stony rises and surrounding districts as they cannot be sent to the factory in proper condition from any great distance The sum voted this year by Parliament Parlia-ment for rabbit extirpation IS 10000 and Ilunrufroiu the rdney papers that in New South Wale no less than S7t 000 has been voted for tae same work and in South Australia the amount is JQOO so that it will be seen that Victoria Vic-toria is by no means the greatest sufferer more especially as she is at the expense of labor and material ou crown lauds in pastoral occupation as well as crown lands unoccupied The number of skins exported from Victoria during 18S3 as near as can be ascertained was 4UOO 00 and the area of land more or less infested is about 20000 acre |
