HAKES AND RABBITS, 



45 



complete failure in, trying to raise a crop. Artificial 

 grasses, trifolium, and clovers cannot stand against the 

 ravages of hares and rabbits, since the persistent bite of these 

 animals destroys the plants ; and, although rye-grass will 

 struggle on for a few months, other grasses will die at once 

 — the reason being that rabbits pinch off the grasses with 

 their teeth and do not tear them off like sheep and bullocks. 

 Indigenous grasses are, in some degree, proof against ground 

 game, but neither cattle nor sheep will feed on pastures 

 w^here rabbits are numerous and where the grass is fouled or 

 tainted by them. Pastures which are thus stained are 

 useless, as the grass is soured and poisoned, and cattle and 

 sheep will almost starve before they will touch the herbage. 

 In the same manner it is asserted that hares will not remain 

 on land which is fouled by rabbits. 



Lucerne and sainfoin are also much injured, as well as 

 cabbages — indeed, nearly all the vegetables raised in market 

 or private gardens are eaten by ground game, and it is 

 difficult to discover a crop which they will not molest. 

 Fruit plantations and young trees planted out in woods, 

 unless protected, will quickly be destroyed. Hares and 

 rabbits, especially in the winter months and in frosty 

 weather when food is scarce, will peel off the bark of young 

 trees and leave them to perish, or check their growth to 

 such a degree that they never attain their proper shape, 

 size, or fruitfulness. Hares also nip off, for mere mischief, 

 the shoots in woods and plantations, and those of rare 

 shrubs and trees in shrubberies and gardens. Fruit-growers 

 who have not taken the trouble to protect their young pear, 

 apple, damson, and plum trees know to their cost the 

 great loss and damage sustained from the attacks of ground 

 game. 



In hop-yards or hop-gardens the farmer frequently 

 discovers the young tender bines eaten off by these pests, 

 and even when the bine has ascended and is high up the 



