256 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



favorable gives it a peculiar impetus and enables it to crowd out and 

 supersede the indigenous related species. Hence, while there is no 

 positive cvid(^nce to show that the European Ral)bit would l^ecome 

 the curse in this country that it is in Australia and New Zealand, yet 

 there is no proof to the contrary, and its introduction here would be, 

 to say the least, an unnecessary and hazardous experiment. 



The Babbits of the United States. — We certainly have enough 

 rabbits of our ov/n — at least a dozen native species — and the injury 

 they inflict upon our agricultural industries is by no means insignifi- 

 cant. In the grape growing districts of California rabbits do so 

 much damage by gnawing the vines that in many cases it lias been 

 found necessary to inclose the entire vineyard with rabbit-proof wire 

 netting, the cost of which is very great. 



In the San Francisco (Cal.) Weekly Bulletin of February 16, 1887, 

 it is stated that for a number of years Messrs. Grimsley and Miner 

 have ''oeen in the habit of poisoning Jack Rabbits "by thousands" 

 on their places near Tul6 River, thus averting the loss of thousands 

 of dollars. Mr. Miner estimates the number of rabbits he has killed 

 in this way "at not less than twenty thousand, and he thinks that 

 during this season not less than two thousand dozens have been 

 killed by dogs and hunters along the river, many of which have been 

 shipped to game dealers in San Francisco. From this statement, 

 which is fully sustained by others, some idea of the magnitude of the 

 evil can be formed. Mr. Dewey, near Tulare, has had a hunter in 

 the early part of the season who killed usually four or five dozen a 

 day and shipped them to the city. He says he has twenty acres of 

 young alfalfa of last year's sowing, the growth of which the rabbits 

 got away with almost entirely during the winter months, causing a 

 loss during the whole season of not less than $500." 



Mr. Willson G. Nowers, of Beaver City, Utah, writes to the De- 

 partment, under date of February 1, 1887, as follows: 



In regard to mammals, the raost common, and by far the most destructive, is the 

 hare, or, as it is usually denominated, rabbit. At times its ravages are enormous, 

 as it sweeps down from the bench-lands and sage-plains in myriads, devouring en- 

 tire fields of cereals. This was the case last year in this and adjoining counties, 

 where its depredations amounted to several thousand dollars, and some farmers in 

 this county lost from this source alone their entire crop of small grain. At Miners- 

 ville, this county, not more than one-third of the crop was harvested. At Adams- 

 ville nearly the total crop was taken; at Greenville about one-half, and here (at 

 Beaver) about the same proportion; and the crops in Iron County, on the south of 

 us, were damaged to about the same extent. 



Our mode of destroying tliese i^ests is to select two captains, who choose then* asso- 

 ciates from the community, and form two attacking parties, and raid the country 

 with lire-arms, clubs, and dogs, killing every rabbit caught sight of. In some cases 

 the slaughter has amounted to nearly one thousand by each side. These raids are 

 made on every favorable opportunity, after a snow-storm, if possible, or monthly if 

 no snov\^ falls. 



About nine years ago the country was overrun by these rabbits, but after two or 

 three seasons' ravages they became so scarce that hr.rdly a representative was to be 

 seen. They were infested with large grubs in the head, resembling those sometimes 

 found in the backs of cattle. These grubs invariably put an end to their victimSo 

 If this enemy had not attacl^ed the rabbits it is probable that the latter would have 

 Iiroduced a dearth in the land. 



E. C. S. Foster, M. D., of Russell, Kansas, writes: 

 Rabbits are verj^ destructive to fruit trees; they eat off the bark during the waiLer 

 months, The damage done is serious. 



Mr. W. Head, of Bristow, Iowa, writes: 



Rabbits are injurious to fruit trees. During the winter tliey gnaw the l>ark, vc^ry 

 often completely girdling an apple tree, which of course kills it. I consider the loss 

 serious, as I have seen a great many apple trees killed in this way. 



