After The Opossums

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30390, 14 March 1964, Page 6

After The Opossums

RANKS PENINSULA has been plagued with opossums for years and Federated Farmers and a number of ratepayers have been anxious that the Banks Peninsula Rabbit Board should take over responsibility for the destruction of this pest also. After careful consideration the board acceded to this request and has been obliged to levy a rate of 2d an acre to cover this additional activity. Three men are now employed full-time on this work. From the beginning of September until about the end of January they worked on the area from the Lighthouse to Long Bay, which had been the scene of a pilot scheme conducted by the Forest Service in conjunction with the board in 1961. At that time about 8000 opossums were accounted for in a year. About 7000 have been killed in the same area in the last five months. As cyanide poison is used this known kill represents about 60 per cent of the total kill as because of the nature of the country about 40 per cent cannot be recovered. For the last few weeks the hunters have been working in fresh country extending from Long Bay to Lavericks Bay and on this new ground their tallies have been high. One day’s laying of cyanide accounted for 226. which has been the best tally for one day. The best kill in one day under one tree has been nine. The total tally to date in about six months’ work has been 8500. About one-third of these have been obtained With dogs and traps in mopping-up operations. The leading hand, Mr J. Phillips, of Akaroa, says that farmers have been very cooperative, and if this continues the board should achieve striking results in eradicating the pest. FIELD DAY Market gardeners and those concerned with the use of glasshouses and seed-sowing equipment should find of interest a field day to be held by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln next Thursday beginning at 130 pjn. Proceedings will begin at the Crop Research Division where the Director. Dr. L. Corkill, will open the day and Mr L. G. Copp, of the cereal section, will deal with vacuum seeders. Later at the Plant Diseases Division glasshouse and at the vegetable section the emphasis will be on automatic glasshouse operation, and if opportunity offers information may be given on research projects.