MORE PHEASANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23177, 25 October 1938, Page 11

MORE PHEASANTS

BREEDING ACTIVITIES SUCCESS OF GAME FARMS MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN BAGS [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Monday State pheasant-breeding activities were described by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E-. Parry, in ail address at the conference in Wellington of the North Island Acclimatisation Societies' Council. He said that the work of the .Hotorua game farm was reflected in a marked improvement in sportsmen's bags in the district. "The game farm was established to supply the needs of the Hotorua acclimatisation district," said Mr. Parry. "We h ave liberated about 1100 birds for each of the two seasons we liave been operating, and are looking forward to better results this season. There was a marked improvement in the bags of pheasants secured in the district last shooting season. "This year, in addition to our own breeding operations, we are supplying pheasant eggs to numbers of persons in the Hotorua acclimatisation district to breed birds for liberation. These persons will be able to liberate the birds wherever they like, but we are insisting on the very reasonable condition that one of our rangers must be present at liberations.

"I have paid visits to the game farms near Hamilton, from which the Auckland society draws its birds, the Wellington society's game farm at Parapa raumu, and the Hawke's Bay society's farm at Greenmeadows. These aro a clear indication of what can bo done. The department has been making inquiries as to other game birds, but in each case we have been up against the problem of possible introduction of disease, a matter in which the Department of Agriculture is vitally interested."'