LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19133, 26 September 1925, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

NATIVE TREES. Sir, —Mr. Munro, director of the Pukekoho Technical High School, is to bo congratulated in having a collection of native trees and shrubs planted in the grounds of the school. It is gratifying to know wo hr.ve someone in our midst who appreciate;) the beautiful trees and shrubs of our own country. Native Bosh. THE COUNTRY PARTY. Sir, —I havo been hoping against hopo that the hot heads who call themselves "the Country Party," would cool down and learn discretion und wisdom at the eleventh hour instead of persisting in their insane attempt to rush the control of our Dominion into the hands of Labour and so bring about a state of chaos similar to that now ruling in Australia. The announcement of Mr. Frank Colheck's candidature for the Rotorua seat mea.ns otherwise, however, and it is now quito evident that these few hot heads are putting their own personal wishes and aims before the good of the Dominion or of any one complete section of the Dominion's peoples other than the Extreme Labour section. I desire, therefore, to warn all farmers throughout the Auckland Province- to beware of the Country Party and to utterly mistrust their specious arguments as to why they are taking political action. The chief of these reasons is the need for rural finance or an agricultural bank. Now surely, fellowfarmers, the fact that our farmer Premier has despatched a delegation, which cludes the Dominion president of tho Farmers' Union, round the world to inquire fully into the workings of all existing agricultural banks and to report which, if any of them, is most suitable for adoption here, has taken away the only tangible excuse for tho formation of a Country . Party. Mr. Coates, who was born and reared on tho land, knows famine and farmers' needs and requirements as weil as any man in our Dominion to-day. If farmers vote for tho Country Party candidate they are splitting tho farmer votu and will let the Labour candidate in. This is no myth as tho afore-mentioned «« hot heads " will tell you, but a very real danger, Australia to-day is the red flag of danger to warn New Zealand to return a stable Government. C. H. MeiXSOF. Cievedon, September 24, 1925. THE LEOPARD. Sir, —I do not profess to be a big-game hunter, but I can certainly certify to my own personal experiences as a lad when at Bukloh, India. Leopards, tigers, jackals and a variety of other wild animal* wero numerous, and hunting parties with officers were not unusual. My fathor devised a leopard and tiger trap which unfortunately was too much like a cage and Colonel J. A. Tytler improved the suggestion, lio made his trap out of logs and trees—all in the rough; the structure looked more liko an old broken-down shed, but tho action, of closing of doors, etc,, was the san.. as our trap. Colonel Tytler was very '< successful. Live bait was always used, ? and we youngsters would often go to see the caught animals shot in tho morning. Surely this chasing a leopard with dogs, sticks, loops, etc., is utterly useless. Salt in the palm would lie equally effective. It is no use frightening the animal to tho Waitakeres or some other wooded locality. The plan is to set traps with livo bait in some four or six pJaces. The various residents, too, could readily set similar traps in their backyards and bait with hen. Better loso a hen than a two-legged kid. A largo packing case, with sliding doors at each end, could, be used. The doors should bo fitted to slide up and down and could bo hold up by a rope vwrried a rer an upright and then on to' the centre of tho c;iso and fastened in such a way that its hold would be released when the perch or bait in the centre of the trap was pulled. 'The hen could bo placed on tho perch at dusk with one lok loosely tied. Should the leopard get the bird the pull would release tho catch and the doors fall, thus imprisoning the leopard. It is essential that the trap should be open at each end. Now to go a little further. In India it was well known to us that when jackals were near the hoase it was an indication that leopards or big game wero near at hand—jackals acted as pilots. I remember on one occasion when a dinner party was on the cook notified my father that a jackal was near, and a very few minutes after a dog, which was on the verandah, just by tho door, was pounced on by a leopard and taken right before the eyes of the diners. Hence my sog!;estion is that a few traps be laid with ive bait and that the jackals be placed in cages somewhere in the vicinity of the traps to be used as decoys ce "call.' birds." It would not; I think (i.e., if the animal is still alive) be long before the leopard would be caught. I certainly would like to see her caught allive. D. A. Cmnneet BBOWN. "Atreaie."—'Yon can get the inform*, tioa yon seek in tho Hbbaud of M»y 7 last. ;j