THE RABBIT PEST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2509, 24 May 1909, Page 6

THE RABBIT PEST.

MR. ROSS’S VISIT.

INTERESTING INFORMATION.

A special meeting of the Gisborne branch of the Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday afternoon to discuss with \f r Ross (Rabbit Inspector for the Hawke’s Bay Land District) the best means to adopt to, prevent the rodent irom crossing the Mohaka River, and bccom ing a pest on the Poverty Bay lands. Mr W. D. Lysnar ocbupied the chair ~nd there was a good attendance of lembers. . . • , T The Chairman, in introducing Mr. Joss, said the Farmer’s Union had een watching the progress of the pest or some time, and it was known that the rabbits were encroaching on the district. It'would be false policy sav there was no danger, and it would be best to know the truth. Danger was threatened, by the rabbits from laupo,, from Mohaka, and from Opotiki, and he hoped Mr. Ross would be able to tell farmers how best to stop tlie ingress of the pest. Both the Hons. James Carroll and R. McKenzie promised to support a Government subsidy to erect a fence if the farmers helped themselves. The question was whether the money from the farmers should be raised by a subscription or a Rabbit Board formed, as Rabbit Boards had power to tax stock to raise finance. Mr. Ross said it must be admitted hat the rabbit was spreading, and lie 'as, pleased to see the lainers’ Uuion had the question so nuch to heart. The Mohaka River 'ooked upon as an a:most impassable barrier, but there was danger since the river had been bridged, lhe country near Mohaka township was patrolled by two inspectors, and a small colony, since exterminated had been found on the northern bank of tlio Mohaxa. He thought there was no imminent danger of invasion, but it would be as veil for the farmers not to take any risk but have a fence erected, llie Department was exercising extreme vigilance ovei the pest, and if any of the gates were left open the rabbits would qiuckij make headway. There _ was a strong possibility that rabbits might come from the Galatea and Waikato districts, because there was an open track, and it would not bo long before the rabbits mine through. A few chains of vurepotting with gates on the road might •wove a check for many years., Iheie ,vas also a possibility) of an invasion from Opoti'ki, where the rabbits were wrtl kept under, but the pest was wiy difficult to keep under complete control He agreed that something should be done by the. Poverty Bay farmers and about fifty miles of we fencing wrected at the Mohaka River. Lhe ,-ost of the fence would be roughly between £SOOO and £6OOO. He thought the fence should be duplicated . Mr lan Simson said he had had considerable experience trying to keep rabbits down and found that wne were useless, because the rabbits would burrow under or climb over such fen The only way to keep them dov n < to lay poison. Money spent on fencing would be thrown away. Mr Ross said that a fence was not an absolute guarantee against invasion, but fences had been found effective in Hawke’s Bay. , r The Chairman said that a number o Wairoa farmers had promised to join bands with the Gisborne landholders to keep the pest back. The cost of a fence was a small amount especiaHy as the Government might hnd half the Co3 t and tlie question for the fanners to consider was whether a Rabbit Board should not be constituted over the Look, Wailcohn, Wairoa, and Waiapu counties. tlie Board to have Hm power Jo strike a rate to cover the cost of tlie Vence. He had to thank Mr. Ross ior to Gisborne to give advice, and io would suggest that a represent■itive meeting of farmers should be called to ron ski or the advisability of formin it a Rabbit Board. In. the meantime Mr. Ross might obtain information as to the line oi the fence, and the piobaole cosh p arker sa pQ be thought the meeting might, take the preliminary steps to form a Rabbit Board. Captain Tucker nought there should be a fence from the Mohaka River to the East Coast so as to stop the incursion of the pest from all directions. He thought it would be a good plan it the Board could raise a loan for file cost of the fence on a small The Chairman said he was of opinion that a loan could be raised by tlie Board as hv anv properly constituted local body up to £3OOO a year. Captain Thicker moved that the iabbit district that such a Board would r-ovc be from the Mohaka River to Galatea, and then to tli e Coast, and that all’ stock holders within that area be notified of the intention to form a Rabbit Bonrd. , , Murphy seconded Capt-. Tuckers motion which was canned. Captain Tucker' said the County Councils should bo asked to co-operate with tlm Farmers’ Union, and the meeting adjourned for a fortnight so as to allow proceedings to be taken to icrm a 800 rd.