THE SOUTH CANTERBURY RABBIT FENCE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7140, 30 August 1888, Page 5

THE SOUTH CANTERBURY RABBIT FENCE.

VISIT OF THE INSPECTOR.

This fence has had a pretty severe test recently from the violent weather which has occurred in the Mackenzie Country. Since then, Mr Foster, Chief Inspector for Canterbury, has visited the locality. One of our representatives had a chat with him concerning this protective work, and the information he imparted is of an interesting character. He went to South Canterbury, about a week ago, and fonnd that the weather in the higher part-of the Mackenzie Country had been severe indeed. It would be hard, to exaggerate the accounts of it, and Mr Foster is inclined to the. belief that run holders will suffer in. the loss of sheep as much as 30 per cent. Speaking directly of the fence, he expressed his pleasure at what he saw as to its stability and strength. It' is composed of ironstandards of very strong material, having several, wires, No. 6, running between -them. To these wires the netting No. 14 guase lgln mesh, is tied, and it also goes oin below the ground. The whole fence stands sft lin above ground, and has a barbed wire running 4 right along at a distance of Sin above the netting. Mr Foster first visited the Waitaki, and saw the Ie Akatarama fence. This is a short piece of fencing about six miles long. At this point the river takes a sweeping bend, and on the land forming the bank the rabbits had made themselves at honie. The fence taken from a certain point above.the bend to one below it completely shuts out this section, and so far as fias been ascertained the rabbits also. The only injury sustained was from one or two smalliand slips, but a slight deviation of the fence would save it from any such damage in the future. Otherwise the fence had stood well. A journey of a few miles brought the Inspector to what is known as the Stoney Creek fence, a part of the suggested maia line of fencing. The Stony Creek fence commences from the Pukaki abont two miles from the junction with the Tekapo, and it has been finished for ten miles in the direction of the Haldonback Hut. Four miles hare yet to be erected. The completed portion has stood the weather excellently, and is uninjured. The extension of this fence from the Hut to Kurow will cover in lineal measurement about 35 miles. Its course goes through good fencing ground, and the material can be taken tonearly everypartof it in a dray. The other section of the main fence which is in hand is that between Burnett's and Lake PukakL Snow lay about so deeply that Mr Foster was unable to give it the same searching examination which had been applied to the other sections. - He saw the contractor for it, and conversed with him. He learned that the work wants about three weeks "of completion, and that which wasalready done had, up to then, suffered no damage." Another section yet to be erected is between Lake I Pukaki and the junction of the Pokaki and Tekapo Rivers. The cost of the fence has been comparatively moderate, the erection having averaged about £123 per mile. From all we can gather no Otago rabbits have crossed the main line of fencing, and its confidently expected that the fence, if properly and continually looked after, will have the desired effect.