MUSHROOM SEASON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23678, 9 December 1938, Page 4

MUSHROOM SEASON

HABITS OF TRESPASSERS FENCES AND CROPS DAMAGED PROPERTY-OWNERS VIGILANT Mushroom seasons, like the weather, have been somewhat erratic during the past year or so. After a season last year that extended over a much greater period than usual and brought an extremely prolific crop, the mushrooms have arrived once again, about three months before time, and- in some districts are to be tfound hi.considerable auahtrties. They have; been in the shops for two or three weeks now, and those who have sampled them have found' them to be of excellent'quality. ; .'• •'• ' '.', r* Perhaps it is the abundance in which mushrooms have 'appeared during the past year or .so (l or perhaps it, is an awakening sense among. farririers 'that, is the cause, but whatever'-.it is; there is no doubt that- the.vchances -bf. mush-room-pibkers'beißg.p'irdered off paddocks By,',properfy jT 6Wners are in creasing,,;-Where-at one time it was to roam the countryside willy-nilly in search of for a tasty; one .has: now to be extremely careful -, and sure of of houses, before even hopping'the fence to pick the mushrooms. Possibly persons who have consistently left gates open or have damaged fences without any thought for the owners have been largely responsible for the attitude that has been adopted by farmers, but warning should be taken from a reported, case where a man whose crop's had been persistently interfered with threatened that if there was of the offence the intruders, might find a few bullets fly Mg-about .their ears. Not a Free Run *'. > ; That the problem of persons hopping fences, leaving gates open, and damaging crops is a real one for the farmer, especially in the neighbourhood of a city or a large town, there can be no doubt. \Tw6 men who were recently attracted by the sight of a hillside of beautiful, mushrooms had rather an illuminating interview with a farmer who appeared' while they were just starting on the fringe, of the best specimens. He was a reasonable man, however, and as the intruders were also reasonable there was no unpleasantness, and even a few extra mushrooms were picked by the hand;; of the, owner himself. The story Jhe farmer had to tell was one which showed that there was ample justification for the attitude that many property-owners tfke of refusing to allow persons to enter ( their land at all. ■A great deal, of the trouble seems to arise from the opinion, which appears to be largely held by the general public, that farmers lands are fair game for anyone who may want to go on them, whether his purpose be to collect mushrooms, to shoot rabbits or birds, to have a nicnic or any other reason. Some farmers display notices prohibiting trespassing on their property, and these seem to be respected by most people, but what is not generally, understood is that even where no notice is erected a person who walks on to a man's property is still trespassing, whether he has a dog or a gun with him or not. Law—am d Order An amusing instance occurred not far from Dunedin ,a week or.two ago, when a .farmer, emerging from his milking shed! saw two men coming over the fence and heading towards a patch of mushrooms on. a hillside. He'wfent across to explain that he wanted the mushrooms to sell in Dunedin, but the visitors were inclined to be rather truculent They were perfectly within their rights, they maintained, and in; support of their.', arguments ,produced. evidencO'thai'-the:/" belonged to- that department ■-, of 'the, service which -is responsible for maintain-' ing law and order in the Dominion. This was right into the farmer's hands, for in view pf what'had been happening-to his fences and crops in the past-year or two he.had spent some time studying the law of trespass. He' 1 -promptly, blew out the arguments 1 of the others, and in a very short 'time* all was harmony again.

Most persons, when asked to leave a farmer's land, will do so, particularly if the request is made courteously, but there are some who seem to resent any attempt to check their wanderings about the countryside in search of this, that, or the other thing to form the material for a meal. ; A,Daily Times, reporter who was in conversation ,'with, a farmer this'week was told of some of the practices adopted by people who set their minds on getting mushrooms or some other delicacy, and will adopt almost any means to secure what they want. Picking by Torchlight One of the practices that has been adopted by mushroom seekers who have been ordered off any particular property is that of driving out at night and shutting off the lights of their cars some distance before they reach the place where they wish to alight. Then they, jump over the fences, loosening the wires, or go through the gates and leave them open, and search for the mushrooms with torches. The sight of half a dozen points of representing persons looking for mushrooms at night is one that not a few farmers in the neighbourhood of Dunedin have seen. Then there are those who defy all requests.to get off farms and have to be threatened with physical violence by someone who looks as though he will be able to carry his threats into effect before they Will make for the fence. Cases of this kind and of a less serious nature have become so common in recent years that most of the farmers within a reasonable driving distance of Dunedin are firmly decided to take a strong line with persons who wander about their property looking for mushrooms." and taking little care what damage they do in the process. The fence-looseners, the crop-trampers, the post-removers, and the various other offenders are the .ones who have spoilt mushrooming for the multiude, and the result is that all must suffer. The farmer cannot always afford the time to distinguish between the good and the bad when he comes rushing' across ■ the paddocks with his dogs, so that if the trespasser has any sense he will not wait to make explanations, but will move while the moving is good. A whole skin is better than a hatful of mushrooms any day. .