HYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 29

HYDE.

March 14.— Harvesting operations are about finished, but most of the farmers have little to snow fur the season's work. There are a few nice stacks here and there, but they are the exception. The -weather &till continues very dry and the fields have a parched appearance. Turnips are not <xuite a failure, but they want rain badly. babbiting.— Rabbit-lrappiug ia iv full swin«, ana large numbers are being sent away. I see Jrout correspondent " Drover" giveß his views and thswa of the Hon. John M'Kenzie on the trapping I ef raobits for export. Mr M'Kenzie is firmly con- ! tiocod that trapping for export for three or four months of the year will not rid the colony of tbe psst No sp.naible person will dispute thiß, as xno, r -t people have conii to the conclusion thfit it is P r £tty well an impossibility to rid the colony of rabbits. All we can do is to Let»r> U'fiii m < r.e L, and at the time wliea factoju^ ano oihti 1 - Jie Using all tbfy can cet ti-Rpyhif; is the h >-.t vi j <■ of noiag so. Few landowners uonv idv br-t.elit "•om the factories, as they vsgrsSlw aiva thou

ground to someone to ti'ap. In regard to "Drover's" remarks re th* profsisional trapper not killing the goose thut lays the golden cgj, the same remarks will apply tc the professional poifcontr. Tho rabbits are no thicker than they were before tbe ad\ ent of the factories ; they are, if anything, thinner, and the rabbit exportation has been a great help in keeping the pest i» check. If th'j rabbits are so thick that it will pay to trap them I do not see why landowners should not choope their own method of destroying ' thetß, and if a larsce number of people can mane a living at it it is worth considering. A little more MuiiilranGouis poisnhing at tho time when j the exporters are not buying would do more good than poisonicg at the present time.