WETHERSTONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 25

WETHERSTONES.

June 7 — It is hard to see a rabbit about here at present. Mr J. B. Thompson has only been able to send away from nine to 30 cases of 30 rabbits each, and at the time of the snow they got none. That is a great come down from 111) cases. A good market and good prices -will keep the rabbits down easily. For one rabbit that is got by poisoning there are six got by trapping. I read ia the Witness that a gentleman down Southland way said that trapping would not affect the high country — that it ought to be poisoned. The gentleman did not know much about the ways of rabbits, for they are like sheep — they will always make for the low ground, where the b?.st feed is. A few weeks ago your correspondent speculated in. a half dozen rabbit traps. He thought that was a cheaper way than buying cartridges and missing the rabbits. His catcb up to the present time is five rabbits, three blackbirds, one cat, and one yellow fen eh. The ferret was the largest and heaviest I have seen set; he was as big as an ordinary cat. He would have made quick work amongst fowls or lambs if he had got amonsfst them. Winged Game —I saw at a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society that the Rev. DrWaddell advocated the introduction of winged game into the country. So far as this part of Otago is concerned the money may as well be thrown in the sea as long as the poisoning of rabbits goes on. Be. ; «re the days of the rabbit inspectors the crow of the cock pheasants and the cry of the weka could be heard every morning up Blue Jacket Gully and on Wetherstonea Commonage. There was scarcely a spur or gully one might go up of cross that a covey of partridges or pheasants would not bi started. On the commonage there was also the native paroquet, pigeons, kakas, and wekas, but how thsy arc all gone— the result of poisoned grain ; and even the native lark, once in abundance, io scarcely seen now. Sparrows ana starlings are. however, thick enough, and as for the cunning and thieving blackbirds, they aie a curse, and the thrush is nearly as bad. Weather.— Thu weather these last two weeks has been mixed and wiutrj'. We had frost on the 24th and 25th May, and a black frost on the 3rd June. On the 22nu May we had wind and rain all day. The last five days in May and the Ist June were very bad. Tho old couplet, slightly Attend, will tell how the wefcther wai exactly {

" First it rained, and then it blew \ It rained again, and then it snew ', Then there was a shower of hail ; It snew again, and then it rained. Accompanied by a gale all through." On the 2nd the snow disappeared off the low ground. On the 4th we had strong hot winds, and showers afterwards throughout the night. On the 6th we had a summer gale with a bright sun. Towards night the wind changed to rough south-west showers. The wind has been from north to south-west. The lowest reading of the thermometar was 35dee at 7 a.m and 39deg an hour later, and the highest was 70deg on the 4th at 3 p.m.