ACCLIMATISATION

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11415, 11 January 1923, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION

IMPORTANT WORK THE REARING OF FISH AND PHEASANTS. INTERESTING DETAILS. The activities of the society axe at a low ebb at this time of the year, said Mr C. I. Dasent. secretary of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, to a “Times” representative yesterday. The fishing season is the only one in operation at present, as the others are either closed down or about to be opened, and as a rule people go travelling instead of fishing in the holiday season. At present many of the rangers are out shooting deer where complaints have been made to the effect that the animals

aro traspassing on some of the farms and devastating the crops. Shooting is tho only cure for this, though the old way was to frighten them by firing at them with dust shot; but this is not effective when the deer know of some good feed. The work is being confined to the afforestation areas, and the rangers will

be out till the end of January. Among the places that will he visited is the Haurapgi range, near Featherjdon—a place very hard to get at. DISTRIBUTION OF FRY. During the last year the society has been very busy distributing fry, whicb consisted wholly of brown trout, as the hatcheries were too full to admit any or .the rainbow variety. 1,469,000 fry wore distributed throughout the rivers of the Wellington district, and this is the largest amount that has been sent out for the past twenty-five years. During the season, which commences in August and ends in November, all the employees of the society have had a bTusy time, as the task 'has been a formidable one. The cutting down of the railway timetable has hampered the 'transportation of the fry a great deal, and some of the outlying districts have suffered accordingly. Such places as Marton and Taihape 'have been neglected a little, ns the train past Palmerston North runs only three times a week. During the season three men were busily engaged at the hatcheries, while two or three rangers carried oat the distribution Great care has to be exercised right ; throughout, as the fry cannot travel in hot weather. The following are the figures for the distribution of the last | season:—Wairarapa North. 300,000; Wairarapa! Central, 150,000; Pahiatna, 119.i 000; Eketalhuna, 100,000; Palmerston 96,000; Taihape, 61,500; Levin, 99,000; i Marton, 63,000; Mangaweka, 80,000; Hun- ! terville, 60,000; Poriruia, 21,000; Wai- . kanae, 10,500; Ma6terton, 10,000; Brundell (Martinborough), 3000; Wainui, (Dyer), 10,000; Wainui, 25.000: Hutt (from Stokes tq Maymorn), 200,000; Akatarawa, 40,000; Martin River, 20,000; Mangaroa, 15,000; Pcngaroa (Pahiatua), 15,000; Whakatihi. 5000; Fukumatahi. 5000; Reserves. 5000; Horokiwi, 8000; Horo Koto, 8000. Total, 1,469,000. Yearlings liberated were:—Hutt, 5000; Waipawa, 600; and Mangatorera, 400, making a total of 6000. Last year tbs number distributed were: Brown. 796,500; rainbow 189,000; yearlings, 6375; total 991,873. In the old times the Acclimatisation

Society used to do its own trappings, and then for the fifteen years pnor to the war the fry were bought from the Government. Then with the event of the war this scheme went out, and the society again reverted to their old system of doing their own'trappings. This year many improvements are to bo made in the hatcheries, which are at present too small for the present requirement* of the society. THE FISHING SEASON. Though no hard and fast rule can be laid down, geenrally speaking the beet part of the fishing season is about the middle of the season, from the end ol January to the end of March. Hen the weather is more settled and tba high winds and glaring sun, which are the enemies of all anglers, are not so prevalent. In several parts of the Wellington district the fishing is excellent all through, and a striking instanoe is the Hutt river, which is reported to aßord splendid sport. The Wairarapa rivers are also good, hut in Walksnae the fish, daring parts of the season, go to the mouth of the river. In Otaki also anglers have reported that although there is a good supply of fish, they would not rise at the beginning of the season. PHEASANT REARING.

The rearing of pheasants throughout the province is. progressing steadily, and the society are indebted to a number of interested people who aro aiding them lii this woric. The birds require a great deal 4>f attention, and one must have a technical knowledge of the work in order to carry it out successfully. One man to, whim the society had supplied a oouple of brace some time back had lately written to the secretary intimating that he could now supply them with a down for liberation. When the society first took up this matter they used to do aQ their own breeding, but at present the usual procedure was to buy the birds when about four months old. Weasels, stoats, and ferrets are a 'Teat hindrance to the activities of the society in this matter, and the birds have to be kept in enclosures of good wire-netting. FUTURE ALTERATIONS. At present there are about thirty re climatisation societies in New Zealand, as well as an area around Rotorua, under the supervision of the Government, but 6ome of the societies are so small that their activities are necessarily cramped, and many of them cannot afford to have their domains properly distributed with rangers. His is almost fatal, as it is an axiom amongst the societies that if there ia no ranging done there will be no revenue. Time will come when there will be only six or seven different societies, and with this there will be an all-round improvement. These bodies will be subsidised by tbs Government, and will be able to go still further afield.