LATE AGRICULTURAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1853, 27 May 1887, Page 17

LATE AGRICULTURAL.

At a meeting of the committee of the North Otago A. and P. Association reference was made to the alteration in the railway tariff upon grain in regard to bags containing over four bushels. It was " stated that not only was a quarter extra charged where a bag was even lib over weight, but that where one bag was found to be over weight excess was charged upon the whole consignment. It was urged that the charge should be made in accordance with the actual weight carried, and it was', decided to write to the members for the district asking them to urge an alteration in the regulations in this direction.

Some idea of what the invasion of rabbits may cost may be gleaned from a recent statement made by the Hon. J. Salamon in the Legisla tive Oounoil of Sydney. It appears that in that colony, up to date, 7,853,787 rabbits had been destroyed and paid for at a cost of £361,492 10s, exclusive of several claims yet unsettled. This means that every rabbit killed in the colony had cost the Government ll§d, and if we add to this the one- third of the bonuses paid by the occupants of the runs,«very rabbit killed will have cost Is 3d.

The Southland Times says : — " Complaints of the depredations of ferrets have become pretty

common of late, and on Saturday we had information of quite a number of- instances of their evil deeds — and their' uselessness. One farmer at One Tree Point says they are breeding at a great rate in that district, and playing havoc with poultry all- round. 1 After suffering silently for some time he made war upon them, and within a fortnight killed nine, 'boomers' on his premises. He ' also knew of a neighbour killing 13 in one hole, where they were living apparently on the most amicable terms with the rabbits. Down the Bluff way, too, they are becoming thick and threatening. One resident lost over a dozen ducks at. one fell swoop through their bloodthirstiness. Generally the smaller settlers seem to regard, them as an infinitely worse pest- than the one they were procured to destroy."