THE AMERICAN POND WEED.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —The letter of Mr A. M. Johnson to your piper, puts the case of the introduction of the pond weed in a new light. Before reading his letter, I had supposed that it might be a matter of some doubt who was guilty of introducing this dangerous weed. Mr Johnson, in his letter, as the curator o[ the Acclimatisation Society, proves that the society is the guilty party. He says that <\aptain Thompson brought it in the water containing fish, from Tasmania, and that it was introduced into one of the society's ponds, at least. Mr Johnson attempts to make the public beliuve that his statement, to the effect that it has been found that the zinc and slate grating dividing the ponds, was found to have prevented theextension of the weed beyond the pond in which he first put it, is proof that tho prodigious quantity of the weed now in the Avon, is not the offspring of that which was put into tho society's pond. Whether it hri3 spread to other of the society's ponds or not, the damning fact remains that the weed was first detected in the river in close proximity to the society's outlet thereto, and that, as proved by Mr Johnson, the society introduced it. Who five the " other residents," for whom Captain Thompson brought fish from Tasmania, and on whom the society's curator attempts, in an underhand way, to shift the blame 1 Do any of them live near the Avon, and if so, has the weed been found near their residences? Can the society deiiy that when measures were taken to get rid of the weed from their pond, the gratings were opened, so ag to allow the water from the pond to run into the river? Can the society deny the fact that birds frequently convey the pond weed from ono piece of water to another, and that, for this reason, and also because of their having drained the pond into the Avon, there can be no reasonable doubt that the spread of the weed is due to its having been placed iv their pond, in the first instance ? The society is, without doubt, a highly useful public institution, and might be much mote so than it is; but in this case of the American pond weed a grave charge lies at their door ; and it would be well if they addressed themselves to the task of trying to> lessen the mischief, rather than expect the public to be misled by silly buffoonery, into the idea that the matter is of little consequence. Yours truly, A Ratepayer.