Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1868. ACCLIMATIZATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 914, 4 February 1868, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1868. ACCLIMATIZATION.

For Borne time past there has been a growing desire ou the part of the settlers to iutroduce the useful iusec-' tivorous birds of the mother country, to protect the farmer from the ravages of the caterpillar aud grasshopper. We are glad to find that our Superintendent, at the meeting of the Agricultural Society on Thursday, expressed himself so favourably on the subject. Something has indeed beeu done by him already, aud we trust that the pheasants he has ordered may be carefully disposed of among the several districts.

Among the many kindi'ed subjects connected with this is that of producing artificial protection, for any small birds we import, both in the way of forest-tree plantations aud live feuces. The importance of the former can hardly be overrated, when we consider that in all probability our climate would be affected, and favourably, by the growth of trees ; for it is an accepted physical fact that where timber does not exist rain is not frequent. Moreover, our plains, fertile as they may be, are but bleak pasture grounds ill winter, and the lee-side of a hedgerow or plantation would be found very comfortable by the shivering stock.

As regards birds, the iusectivorous birds of England are chiefly those which live singly aud make their nests in our hedge-rows. With the exception of the starling, which is both gregarious mid almost wholly insectivorous, the gregaj-ious birds are partly granivorous. Of these, the rook requires trees, and would not remain in any locality without them. This bird is one which destroys many insects which few other birds cau reach, aud does much more good than harm. The sparrow does not, ou the contrary, do much good, and fieldfares and the like, blackbirds, &c, all do a great deal more harm than they do good in the country. Stonechats, chaffinches, tomtits, robins — all these are valuable auxiliaries to the farmer, and all their tribe do no appreciable harm.

These birds, t partly from their solitary habits, are very defenceless, aud hero they would be rcfugeless from their many enemies — hawks, cats, owls, &c. ; aud as the chief duty of an Acclimatization Society will be to take steps to prevent them from extirpation after they reach our shores, some expense will be necessary for a time. In Auckland rewards are given for the destruction of the kinds of vermin which prey upon the smaller birds; but hero wo are as yet without the means of creating a fuud, like that derived from the sale of game licenses hi Auckland. Hia Honor's efforts to

import the pheasant in considerable numbers, will aid materially what has already beeu done by private settlers in this direction. We hope the Califoruian quail also may not be forgotten, as it is a good bird, and thrives in New Zealand wherever it has been tried, besides being most prolific. If what is promised is well dove, and the birds arrive here safely, it is not too much to hope that in a year or two, at most, we shall hear of game licenses being issued to sportsmen in this province.

Connected with the subject of plantations, is that of the best kinds of timber trees for this province. Rapid growth is of almost equal importance to utility as timber, aud we should experimentalise a little, aud try to acclimatize trees as well as birds. Califoruian trees seem to do well here, and the Welling tonia and pinus insignis grow nearly as quickly as blue gums. His Honor informed the meeting that trees from South America have been found to grow still more rapidly than any yet tried in Victoria, and we cau hardly do wrong in making the experiment. Following his Honor's remarks, we can only say therefore that we hope to hear that the Horticultural Society intends to import trees for the purpose of affording an opportunity to all of ascertaining the species most suited to our necessities, aud most adapted to the climate and. soil of the province.