ACCLIMATISATION

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1923, Page 14

ACCLIMATISATION

A QUARTERLY REVIEW ARTICLE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 3rd August. When the Hon. G. M. Thomson's encyclopaedic work—"The Naturalisation of Animals and Plants of New Zealand"—was published more than a year ago, all the leading journals in this country hailed it as a very valuable con-i tribution to the literature of • Natural History. A considerable amount of space was devoted to it by way of :re-; views and extracts, and' no doubt naturalists the. world over have availed themselves of the vast collection of facts which Mr. Thomson had so painstakingly brought together in the volume. Further, however, the editor of "The Quarterly Beview" recognises that the book is valuable and interesting enough to bring it before the public again, and in the current number of that journal he has published an article by the Hon. W. H. Triggs based on Mr Thomson's work, and on a State Paper reporting .on jthe damage xibne' -by deer -; in the forests and .plantations of' New Zealand.'. ■■.■•'■■•■ •■'■-'■■ ■, ■--.<. - - •- -.

„.: In.an sirticle*cohering, some fourteen pages .Mr^Eriggs :merelyjjnnds; space; for dealing with" some of'lhe prominent forms ,qf'acclimatisation.. For instance, ;he.'vdescribes':tke appalling - catastrophe whichffollowed v the introduction" of rabbits :into'ithe Dominion-, arid he.quotes extensively from Mr. Thomson's work. '.Passing on to the acclimatisation of deer, the writer, draws' attention to that side of the question which is apt to be forgotten by those who take a delight in stalking—the destruction which is being brought about by the rapidly-in-creasing herds. "It is to, the credit of the present Government," he writes "that they have become alive to the criminal folly of allowing the destruction of native forest to continue; and a State Forestry Act having been passed, a State Forest Service was established in 1920 with a highly capable Director of Forestry at its head. The object is tp maintain existing forests, and to carry out a certain amount of afforestation, both on the lines suggested by the best modern experience. Almost as soon as the Department began operations it became evident that if the forests were, to be preserved the deer would have to be kept out of them." Mr. Triggs then quotes irom the report prepared by Mr. A.. D. Perham, showing that in' some localities, owing to the deer, reforestation is at a standstill, ; and that .farmers are suffering severely through the depredations of the deer.'

In a further precis of Mr. Thomson's, work, Mr. Triggs deals with the other efforts to introduce game for the sportsmen, with the acclimatisation of trout and salmon, and with various forms of plant life. "New Zealand," he concludes, "has suffered many things from those well-meaning persons who sought to add to its flora and fauna by introductions from outside, but it has been mercifully spared one calamity. It is still a country without, snakes, notwithstanding that the nearest continent, Australia, has them -in abundance, including some of the most venomous." Rel&ence is made by -"Thei Tablet" to Mr. Triggs's article,, and in view of the over-supply of deer,' perhaps, attention may,be called to one sentence which cbntains a suggestion that may have a modicum of reasonableness. "Mr. Triggs tells us (says "The Tablet") that tlve hundred head of red and fallow deer imported during the fifty years preceeding 1909 have increased to 300,----000 ■ head to-day, and that primeval forests are being quickly ' destroyed. Perhaps it is our ignorance which makes us wonder why we cannot have New Zealand frozen venison as well as the excellent New Zealand frozen lamb."