RABBIT BOARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 83, 20 June 1944, Page 5

RABBIT BOARD

PONGAKAWA INSPECTOR'S REPORT

EXIT BUNNY

From time to time we are kindly given information regarding the work of keeping rabbits in check but for a long time past, we do not seem to have found any room for these notes. The Pongakawa Rabbit Board goes about its ijob in a most serious and determined manner and from a report to hand comprising five sides of single-spaced typing on foolscap sheets we find that every phase of rabbit extermination is very fully discussed. Mr C. H. Davisj the Board's inspector, submitted the following report:— Since, your last meeting we have 1 worked, on the following places: Messrs Thompson, Hastie, Goldsmith, Evers, McGee,, Gow, Reid Bonham, Nettlingham, Drabble, Fulton, Gibbons, T'unnicliffe, Lichenstein McCarthy, Roberts, Walters, Ball; Maxwell, Watts, Dyres, Miss Atkinson and Crown and Native Lands. We have covered 13,500 acres poisoned, 57,000 acres fumigated using 314 lbs phosphorised pollard,, 19%1bs cyanogas and 2 x /i gallons carbon bi sulphide. During this period we have experienced a lot of trouble with wet weather and have had to re-poi-son a lot of country that showed bad results through our poison being spoilt by rain. Results on the Manawahe country have, been patchy. In some places Ave have had excellent results while in others the take and kill has been disappointing. I. can only account for this state of things through the bad weather we havei experienced and inferior poison. As we cannot procure supplies of Frankton mixed poison I would proposethat in future we mix our own, or until such time as the quality of the poison, now being sent out improves. The cost would be slightly less and we would be sure of. obtaining good results. Material to mix lcwt poison would cost us as follows: Molasses 2 gallons 6s, phosporous 3s, wheat meal 125.3d t total £1 Is 3d. I can mix lcwt in seven hours and as we can do most of the mixing in wet •weather when we can do little else, I consider we can show a substantial saving on our poison expenditure. Since your last meeting I have inspected most of the old area with the exception of the Lake district (Paengaroa area) Messrs Roberts, McCarthy, Ross, Watts, Parkinsons ! and Mathews and found them all ,in wonderful order with Mathews' place almost rabbitless. Valley road area is also in good order and few rabbits are to be seen on this area now. Bush Road still carries a few rabbits and I intend to shift a man on to. this area and have same work-' ed during the coming period. We have two men on the Manawahe area and two on the Lake Rofoma end. and as this is a long narrow block and no camps available in the centre of, the area we may experience some difficulty as regards transport. B intend to shift one of the Manawahe men to the Bush Road, leaving the thr,ee men to complete the poisoning of the Manawahe and Rotoma areas. The report concluded with the statement that rabbits were well down in the old area and a dent was being made at Manawahe. The Board authorised the inspector to. mix his own poison (this must not be interpreted in the colloquial sense) and informed the Department of. Agriculture of the weakness of the mixtures being forwarded. (Te Puke Times).