52 



cessful in blocking them up in their burrows, I adopted this plan and suc- 

 ceeded beyond my expectations. The work is riither slow, but sure, if 

 properly done. My mode of doing it was with round wood of any sort cut 

 into billets 18 or 20 inches long, and in every burrow had a billet larger 

 than the hole, driven in by a strong man with a heavy iion maul, as far as 

 he coidd get it, which was generally a little way inside the burrow, then level 

 down the entrance of the hole over the end of the billet of wood, and the 

 thing is complete. Its success, as I have said before, depends entirely on 

 the work being properly done. Trustworthy men, if possible, should be 

 employed ; failing this, doubtful men require constant watching. When 

 properly done very little fear of rabbits burrowing out, but great danger 

 of outsiders burrowing in. To meet this I let the men have a fast dog to 

 pick up outsiders, and made them begin work at the homestead and work 

 outwards, so that they had to walk to and from their work daily over the 

 ■work previously done, and wherever they saw a new burrow to block it up 

 at once. I continued this work until the end of October, 1870, when other 

 work compelled me to leave it off until March of this year. At this busy 

 time failing to get good men I adopted another mode— that of giving nine- 

 pence a dozen for all grown rabbits killed on my ground and brought to me 

 every night to be counted ; and to prevent the possibility of their being 

 brought a second time I cut one ear off each rabbit. For a short time 

 the hands employed killed at the rate of 1,200 and odd a week, but the 

 numbers soon became less and gradually decreased. On some parts of the 

 land not two rabbits are to be seen where hundreds were before, and on all 

 other parts, so much reduced in numbers, as to convince me that if every 

 sufferer from these pests would go at them with a will the nuisance would 

 soon be very much abated, and with perseverance put down altogether, but 

 this will not be done witliout the aid of Parliament. 



During the lambing season I stopped the men and tried the poison 

 (strychnine), first with fruit aiid carrots with good results, and afterwards 

 with oats slightly crushed with still better I'esults. The mode of pre- 

 pai-ation has been so well described by Mr. Bisdee, of Hu ton Park, from 

 whom I got it, that I need not rei^eat it. I maile small enclosures to put 

 the poisoned oats in that the sheep could not get at it. I find now the grass 

 is gro\ving. The rabbits are so shy of the poisoned oats that I have again 

 employed hands to kill them at so much per dozen. I believe the blocking 

 up with good men to be the best mode tried except the poisoned oats. 



Yours, &c., 



J. MACLANACHAK 



Mr. SwA^r said when the ground was sandy the rabbits could easily 

 be destroyed, by simply filling in the burrows to the extent of a foot or 

 two with the sand. He had frequently seen dead rabbits taken out 

 after this process. It was satisfactory to know that the expense of 

 destroying them was partly recouped by the value of the skins in the 

 English market. In London they had sold at 2s. Id. per dozen, and at 

 Bradford as high as 3s. 



Mr. T. GiBLiN observed the export of skins was assuming great pro- 

 portions. Mr. Fysh alone had exported 13 bales, in addition to which 

 Mr. Bidencope had sent a large number. 



The Bishop of Tasmania felt that Government assistance was required, 

 in order that some general and systematic action should be taken in the 

 matter. It was useless for one or two settlers to destroy rabbits if 

 their neighbours, whether owners of land or Crown tenants, made no 

 attempt to clear their runs. It was well, however, to know that, as 

 far as he could learn, the rabbits were really not making much headway 

 except on sandy ground. He thought it would tend much to their 

 destruction if their flesh possessed an economic value, and this could 

 readily be given to it by the formation of meat-preserving companies. 

 Both flesh and skins could then be profitably disposed of. 



Mr. Gould, whilst agreeing that some general action was necessary. 



