SERIOUS DAMAGE BY ROOKS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27676, 4 June 1955, Page 8

SERIOUS DAMAGE BY ROOKS

ERADICATION SOUGHT BY FARMERS Action for the extermination of rooks was supported yesterday by the annual conference of the North Canterbury Provincial, district of Federated Farmers. The conference also decided to urge that a bounty should be paid on birds taken. The problem may also be raised at the annual Dominion conference of Federated Farmers and at the conference of the Dominion Agricultural Section. Speaking in support of a remit from the Halswell branch, Mr J. W. Overton said he estimated that birds on his property were increasing at the rate of a third a year. It was now almost impossible to sow a winter crop because of the depredations of the birds. A next door neighbour had spent a week working up a paddock for a crop of oats and not a bird appeared, but only half an hour after a drill had arrived in the paddock 1500 rooks appeared. Although oats had been sown not a pickle of seed had survived the rooks.

“I think the rooks are getting out of Paparua in thousands,” said Mr J. R. Parish, supporting the Halswell request for support for eradication. “I think they should keep them there,” he added amid laughter, referring to rooks from the prison property. The president, Mr D. W. Gray, said that the executive had taken action on the problem but it had not got very far. The secretary, Mr A. E. G. Lyttle, said that they had already sent forward a proposal that a bounty should be paid on the birds. Delegates said that rooks had appeared on the Peninsula, at Lincoln and in the Kimberley-Darfield district. “I think that the best way to deal with them would be to set up a catchment board,” said Mr R. Harris amid laughter. A note on the order paper with the remit said that the Wild Life Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was more interested in the extermination of rabbits than rooks, and in the Halswell district the menace of the rook was far greater than that of the rabbit. If the rooks reach the Waimakariri or any other afforestation area how would it be possible to check their multiplication, it was asked.

HEAVY RAIN IN OTAGO

FARMS FLOODED AND ROADS BLOCKED (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, June 3. The heaviest rainfall for some years has fallen in Otago during the last two days* bringing floods, road blockages, and other minor damage. The rain, which began on Thursday afternoon, was still falling late tonight. Up to 9 p.m. 3.06 in had fallen in 36 hours.

In Dunedin, all sporting fixtures for tomorrow have been cancelled. Minor street flooding his occurred. In the country areas, such as Kelso, South Otago, and West Otago, risinf? rivers have flooded the countryside and blocked roads. Carisbrook was partly flooded to a depth of several feet. Other sports areas, notably; the Oval and Lo<?an Park, were also covered with water. All National Airways flights from Dunedin were cancelled.

FLOODING IN SOUTHLAND

BRIDGES AND ROADS DAMAGED (New Zealcnd Press Association) INVERCARGILL, June, 2 Heavy rain, which has been falling steadily in Southland for more than 36 hours, is causing rivers to rise, bridges to be washed out, and farmers to move stock; Several bridges in the Winton area have been warned away or have had their approaches washed out, and the Makarewa river, which flows a few miles from Invercrgill, is in heavy flood. Water lying on the main Invercar-gill-Dunedin State highway near Gore and near Milton has made detours necessary. The Invercargill-Queens-town highway is dangerous, and snow is lying on the foothills near Inversurface flooding has occurred in Invercargill. At Bluff, the towns drainage system was unable to cope with the storm water. The two reservoirs, which usually contain little water, are overflowing. A beacon, which marked a dangerous sandbank at the entrance to Bluff harbour, has been washed away oy high seas.