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Show oo AHE RABBIT PEST IN AU8TRAL1A. The rftbblt ovil Is again making Itself It-self felt In Victoria. The Insignificant Insignifi-cant coney defies all efforts at extermination, exter-mination, and discovers in his marvelous mar-velous power of fecundity a means of withstanding all the efforts mado for his extirpation. Wo mean tain In the stato a Bpecial department which absorbs ab-sorbs about 25,000 pounds a year, and it would not be easy to estimate tho total amount which rabbit destruction destruc-tion has coBt publicly and privately. A. great deal haB been done to diminish dimin-ish tho extent of tho ravages from this cause, but with the favorable seasons there Is such a rovival of the numbers that a renewal of the difficulty diffi-culty always threatens. Thus at the present time there are parts of tho state liable to bo overrun by the pest, and farmers are complaining blttorly of the losseB lnfllctod on them. The Uppor Murray district, in the neighborhood neigh-borhood of Cudgewa arid Corryong, has been described as a huge rabbit j-narren; In the Rochester district the new settlers find themselves called upon to face an unexpected difficulty, und the Mornlngton peninsula Is very bad. There aro wide powers Invested In the department for the purposo of Insuring rabbit extermination, but practically little can be done except by united effort. Experience has 6hown that the only effectual way of dealing uith the pest Is by wire netting net-ting enclosures and by carrying out tho -work of destruction In detail It Is useless for any landowner to go to large expense In clearing his propertj while It remains liable to be overrun again through the neglect of his neighbors. Waste crown lands are a great breeding place for rabbits, and therefore some responsibility Is cast upon the stato to assist In any efforts ef-forts that may be made for their destruction. de-struction. Melbourne Lender. |