102 STALKS ABROAD 



not so, 10,000 sheep more would find pasture on the 

 stations of which I am speaking. 



One hears vaguely in England of great rabbit 

 drives, and enormous figures of the slain are quoted, 

 but in the majority of cases they convey no definite 

 realisation of the difficulties with which an Australian 

 or New Zealand run -holder has to contend. It needs 

 the faculty of sight to bring it home. When, in 

 addition to shooting, trapping, snaring or other 

 methods of destruction, you see poison carts starting 

 off every morning on their deadly round, you begin 

 to know what that slang expression of disbelief 

 " Rabbits ! " may mean to a Colonial. 



A word as to poison carts. They are lightly con- 

 structed machines which plough a narrow furrow 

 about one inch deep and an inch or so in width. Into 

 this furrow at intervals of about a yard a small pellet 

 of poison is automatically dropped. The size of this 

 pellet can be regulated by enlarging or diminishing 

 the slot through which it passes. The poison used is 

 phosphorus mixed with pollard into a kind of paste. 

 This method strikes a stranger as being cruel, for the 

 rabbits after eating it do not die at once. Its advan- 

 tages, however, are undeniable, for the poor little 

 beasts are very fond of phosphorus and eat it readily 

 in dry weather, when they are unable to get fresh 

 green food. In addition to this the action of the 

 poison diminishes to a great extent any unpleasant 

 smell which their sudden demise might occasion. It 

 has one great disadvantage. In a drought, when they 



