CHAPTER XII 



THE RABBIT 



GENERALLY speaking, rabbits are a nuisance on a pro- 

 perty, and should be kept down to the lowest limits. 

 They are a constant source of annoyance to the farmer, 

 and a source of expense to the proprietor who plants. 

 They do great damage to young trees, and unless the 

 keepers are very energetic in trapping them, a few 

 rabbits in hard weather will soon spoil a plantation. 

 The only sure method is netting, but this is an ex- 

 pensive means of limitation, so that it is questionable 

 whether bunny is worth his meat. Some farmers are 

 curiously inconsistent ; for instance, it has just come 

 within our notice that on an arable farm, where orders 

 had been given to kill down all the rabbits, the 

 grumbling farmer complained that they were being 

 killed down too hard, and that he could not get as 

 much as a rabbit for his house. Farmers were not 

 content till the law was altered to give them compensa- 

 tion for damage by game, and now that they have got 

 the rabbit kept down, they complain against its loss. 

 Another strong objection urged against the rabbit is 

 that it draws poachers. 



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