OPOSSUM TRAPPING

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 October 1928, Page 10

OPOSSUM TRAPPING

N. CANTERBURY STATISTICS

(Special to “Star.”)

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 30.

Saturday was the last day upon which opossum skins, taken in the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society’s district during the season which closed on August 16, could be submitted for stamping. The number stamped in the North Canterbury Acclimatisation district was 10,726, compared with 7,215 stamped in the 1927 season, an increase of 3,061. The average price received this season was 12/6 pei B skin, but some have brought as high as 23/6, 15/-, and others as low as 7/- and 8/-. All round, prices this year averaged 3/- per skin higher than at last year. Some big bags were got by trappers this season. Two. trappers in O’Halloran’s Bush, Glen Tui, got 703 skins. At Little River, one man got 319. Another 272. On Mount Herbert three men got 812. At Ohuku, one trapper got 308, another 277, another 172. At Purau, Mount Herbert, two trappers got ,539. At Kaihuna, one man got 168. One trapper at Mount Thomas got 428. The majority of skins were satisfactorily prepared, but a few trappers have a tendency to stretch them too wide to produce a skin that is almost square. Consequently they are liable to crack some little distance in from the edge. The ideal shape is oblong. It is' also necessary that skins should be dried naturally. A few trappers have dried skins in front of fires consequently in the tanning process, they are apt to come out hard not soft and suede.