THE HAGLEY PARK SHEEP NUISANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6475, 28 November 1881, Page 5

THE HAGLEY PARK SHEEP NUISANCE.

TO TUB BDITOB. Bis—l, with a good many more, road your local re the sheep nuisance with much satisfaction, thinking the annoyance would be discontinued tor the future j but in your Saturday's issue I was greatly surprised and disappointed to see no less an authority than Mr Armstrong deliberately staling that no damage had been done by the sheep turned into the plantation. But, Sir, I must behove my own eyes, and therefore challenge the correctness of his statement. , A largo mob of sheep has been turned into the plantations completely eating up every blade of grass to be seen. Then they commenced with tho trees, upon which so much care has been bestowed, doing great damage to them, and the walks wore in such an abominable state that the public would leave tho cool shade of the trees and toko the high road for it. Dead sheep could bo found lying about, in a state of putrefaction, as It was too much trouble to bury them, and tho sheep in search of food would break through the fence into tho grounds laid apart by tho Domain Board for cricket purposes. Tho Addington Club ground suffered very much from tho dopiedations of those animals. Bobs a new formed ground, it is in a backward state, and tho club has boon doing Us best to have it ready at tho earliest date. Ibis Ero und has been formed at the expense of fomo few working young men, the outlay being something considerable, and just as they were congratulating themselves on being able to commence to play on it shortly, these animals gab access to it. In some places they left impressions with their feet fully two inches deep. The cleaning up after them, too, is a matter of money, and if the trashing is carried on at the rate it has been Jobs on this last fortnight, it not only moans fub to the ground but ako to the prospects any time have Mr Armstrong shown tho damage done to fences, trees, and cricket ground. I have seen some halfdozen of the members spending a portion of an evenbg repairing places that the sheep had literally broken through, and in answer to bis statement that sheep are an ifuprovoSent on cricket frounds.l could spoeddy show him hie ignorance b the matter & ho wouW $ bat and endeavour to punish, say, Mr

D. Ashby’s bowling oa awiokst which sheep are allowed to grass on. The Domain Board has granted those grounds for the purpose of orioket, and countenanced a largo expenditure of money in the formation and keeping them in order —besides the advantages derived by the public from their ability to enjoy a promenade on such beautiful grounds at the Assooiation have made. Therefore, 1 consider the Domain Board is in duty bound to give the cricketers each protection as will prevent the grounds being turned into sheep pastures.—l am, &0,, JOHN HOPPEB. Addington. TO TUB BDITOB. Sib,— Beferring to a local which appeared in your issue of Nov. 26, complaining of sheep in the orioket grounds, Hagley Park, will you kindly permit mo to suggest a very simple remedy for keeping them out. It is this -. Let the various duos unite together in repairing the fences and keeping them in good order. The Domain Board, at considerable expense, fenced in this land for the convenience of the clubs, and sorely, seeing they have nothing to pay for the use of the grounds, it is not too much to expeot them to keep the fences in order. It should also be borne in mind that the only revenue the Board is in receipt of is derived from the grazing of the parks; neither the clubs nor the public give one shilling towards the support of the gardens or parks. And now a word of advice to the orioket clubs. Instead of each employing a squad of men to prepare a bit of ground here and a bit there (giving it a patchwork appearance), unite together, invite tenders for keeping the whole enclosure (fences included), in proper order, and I will guarantee you will get it done batter and for considerably less than it is costing you now.—l am, Ac., EDWARD MITCHELL, Lessee of the South Park. Ohristohureh, Nov. 26. TO THB BDITOB. Sib, —Having road Mr Armstrong’s report on the above subject in your issue of Saturday last, I feel convinced that in his visit to Hagley Park Cricket Groan d he altogether overlooked the selection that has been laid down by the Addington Club on the new ground. The Domain Board having granted the use of a portion of this ground to the Club, they, at a very considerable expense, prepared it for the purposes of orioket. For the past fortnight they have bad the water running on the ground at intervals, which has made it very readily yield to the least pressure that has been brought to bear upon it. The sheep, having been placed in the plantations, soon broke through the thinner parts of the hedge which on that side (if I mistake not) has no wire fence. Having got so far, they very naturally soon found out where the best feed lay, and the consequence is that the Addington Club’s ground has been to a very great extent ruined for good cricket for this season at any rate, besides their having extra expenses to bear for extra labour required. I leave the question of damages to the young trees in the Plantation to the Domain Board, who will, I have no doubt, look to that matter, but certainly from what I have seen they have not been improved by the sheep being allowed there.

Sincerely hoping the Addington Club will have no further need of complaining on the above subject.—l am, &0., W. T. BURLEY, Hon Sec A. 0.0.

TO THE EDITOR. SlB, —Two locals appeared in your issues of Friday and Saturday last, one affirming and the other denying that damage was being done to the cricket grounds by sheep breaking through from the Park and plantations. 1 am not a cricketer, and do not pretend to pronounce, judgment on the points raised in those paragraphs,' though to say that a newlyformed ground, soft from abundant watering, is likely to be benefited by a flock of sheep running over it, seems quite absurd. What 1 do complain of is the presence of sheep in the plantations, and the nuisance they cause there. I live on the Lincoln road, and in my walks to and from my business in town have been in the habit of using the path running along the plantation, parallel to the Lincoln road, almost daily. Recently, howerer, haring on one or two occasions found this path in a ; disgusting condition, 1 have taken to the open road. Those who know the habits of sheep need not be told that they will always choose a bare and dusty surface—such as a traokj or footpath—to camp upon j and, to put it camping ground of a flock of sheep is uot a suitable field for pedestrian exercise of a morning. \ I will add—Mr Armstrong’s statement to the contrary notwithstanding—that I am sure, from what I hare seen, that the sheep do the young trees in the plantations muon injury. While on the subject, I should like to ask whether the lessee of the Park has any right to the plantations. Feed appears to be wasting in the Park, while sheep are turned among tbe young trees and on to the public footways. Does the lessee rent the plantations P And, if not, why is ho permitted to use them P—l am, &0., WAYFAEBB.

TO THH BDIIOE. • Sib,—l perceive that Mr Armstrong reports that no damage has been done to the Association ground by the invasion ot sheep. Perhaps no damage has been actually done to the turf, but I am in a position to state that a great deal of annoyance and trouble has been caused by the necessity of cleaning the ground in order to roake it fit for ploy after the sheep have been on it. Mr Armstrong not being a cricketer could hardly be expected to understand this; hence his report is misleading. I only speak of the old ground. The thanks of cricketers are due to you for calling attention to the matter.—l am, &0., OBIOKBTEE.