ATTEMPT TO SECURE SHIP DISCOVERY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21436, 30 March 1935, Page 8

ATTEMPT TO SECURE SHIP DISCOVERY

PLANS OF ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (PABS3 ASSOCIATION TELBOHAM.i WELLINGTON. March 29. An attempt is to be made by the A'ew Zealand Antarctic Society to secure for New Zealand the old shiu l)iscovery, at present in the possession C£ the Falkland Islands Government; the object being to have the old ship as a training vessel for mercantile marine entrants, and as a relief ship JCor use in an Antarctic expedition emergency. A feeling that overtures should be jftiade in this direction was expressed at the annual meeting last night.. Sir Douglas Mawson, Admiral E. R. £. R, EvanSj and Rear-Admiral Richard

E. Byrd have accepted office as patrons of the society. Officers were elected as follows: President, the Hon. Mr Justice Ostler; vice-presidents. Mrs H. T. Ferrar. Messrs R. A. Falla, R. G. Simmers, and C. R. Ford; council, Messrs C. H. Weston, K. C. A. Leigh Hunt, A. A. Kirk, A. Gibbs, F. S. Pope, L. B. Quartermain, B. L. Donne. Major Carty, Captain W. Whiteford. Mrs K. Preston. Miss M. E. Black. Drs. Graham Robertson. W. R. B. Oliver, and J. Henderson; honorary secretary, Mr C. E. Collins: auditor, Mr C. S. Falconer: lantern-operator, Mr A. J. Bland.

RABBIT FARMING ANNUAL STOCKTAKING IN THE RABBITRY : liy liK.V ! Although many rabbit-keepers carry ;ai'ly" spring green feeds appear early >n breeding operations all the year, here are sonic who prefer to limit ;heir activities to a period. This plan las a great deal to recommend ii. except where it is desired to have a succession ol' litters tor killing. Fvaborts breed most readily during the ipring and summer, and it is then seldom necessary to increase tne concentrated food to induce does to mate. Unless the weather is abnormal the ;arly spring green feeds appear early n August, wnen the litters begin to irrive, and tins contributes towards a ■ich and liberal milk suppiy from llKlces, while by the time the litters are >ut o£ the nests and beginning to feed or themselves, a more or less abundant supplv of fresh, juicy young greens is >btainabie. This makes ior economy n feeding' when there are a numbei )f growing youngsters which must be ed welt, but from which no profits ire coming in from the sale of wool >r pelts. Iri rabbitrics where breeding is a ;casona] matter, the' linal litters will )e born by the end ol suniniei. when hose born nt the beginning ol the leason will be getting on towaids age. The next job foi the •abbit-keeper. before settling down lor he winter, is to take stock ol his :fud, making up his mind what to ceep and what to discard. In this yearly stocktaking, the hrst >tep is to go carefully thiough all cloe.. ,vhich have been used for breeding luring the season just ended, and to iecide how many of these will pay heir wav in the breeding pen next reason. " Does too old for breeding iiust go. as also must any younger foes which arc unsatisfactory bi eedjrs." An exception may. however, sometimes be made in the case ol \ngora does. Although some breeders advise the scrapping of all doos^aft Gillie ir fourth year, it has been unmet that in many cases a doe, alter retired from the breeding, pen. wn, prove worth her keep as a wool lei. If is well to run on any old does with notably lorn.' and dense coats until ouo clip has been taken from them, bo Ion" as a doe will yield two ountes at a clip her existence is justified, provicied, ol! course, .she is not kept tno expense of younger stock with a higher yield. The same principle applies to Angora stud bucks. Jbuck.--. of other breeds should be discarded after they have reached their lifth year and their places filled by the \oungci and more vigorous animals. unless they have been siring youngsters ol outstanding merit. In this case, it is well to keep them on for another season, as a reliable, consistent stud buck is not always easy to replace. It should always be remembered tna hazard bre*diifg seldom learis to >uchapha/.ard breeding seldom leads ti success; each malm,!: should be carefully thought out and should ha\■. some definite reason behind it. Jin novice with a stu< will do well to lake counsel v.'itli ihi breeders from whom he purchased <>'.< initial stock. In the reproduction of sueh poi:>t as colour, length, texture, and d' of wool —all important to the utility breeder-----and also in the-various poM 1 - required in exhibition stock, sucn a - shape, furnishings, and marking.--'. !! is highly probable that the buck pi".'--the major part. Therefore, the .-e----lection of a young buck foi stud pinposes is an important matter, and .' ,l rabbit-keeper should choose those rabbits which excel in the particuj.u points lie wishes to establish m hi:stud. It must not be supposed I hat a ouck invariablv Ihrows youngsters inke.itiug his characteristics, but if the bud himself has inherited these from : long line of well-bred ancestor-, then is a reasonably good prospect ol hi: doing so. QUALITY OF WOOL I'KO.M NEW ZEALAND <OMIM.AI.Nr KKO.M KNGI.fKII MH.I.S The secretary of the -New Zealanc Fur and Angora Wool Producer. 1 states that complaints have been received from English Angora woo mills as to the qualify of some of tin wool dispatched from New Zealand. During ihe last. 12 months a verj large quantity of matted and ver> short wool has been produced by sup pliers, so that the mills have receivec a far greater proportion of this thai they require. Furthermore, the exces sive quantity of this wool produced i: affecting the prices of the highei grade wool. Breeders are therefore notified tha wool less than two inches in length i: not required, and in future not mor< than 25 per cent, of matted wool cat be exported. If breeders will not pro duce the class of wool required b.i the mills it will eventually mean un satisfactory prices for the whole o the industry. Approximately £2OOO in cheques lo the payment of rates was received b; the Christchurch City Council yester day morning", and since the cheque bear the correct date, this sum wil not incur the 10 per cent, penalty. Tin amount received in the morning mai brought the total rate payments mad before the penalty became due to ap proximately £318,000, and reduced th amount outstanding to slightly mor than £35,000.

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