Small-bird Poisoning. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 15

Small-bird Poisoning. TO THE EDITOR.

Sm,~ln this week's Witness, under the heading " Notes on Rural Topics," " Agricola," speaking of the quality of the poisoned wheat for the destruction of small birds supplied to Tokomairtro farmers, says :—: — *' I have heard of a- ji*rmer feeding bis hens upon grain supplied to poison small birds, and the hens thrived upon it. If that "is anything like a common occurrence, the sooner the Government supply a standard quality of bird poison the better." Further on, "Agrieola" says, be has seen as many as 100 birds killed within as many yards with" poisoned grain prepared by himself. Ii •• Agricola " aware that if he had fed h's hens on this same poison prepared by himself it would not have hurt them in the leaßt ? If not, it would be as well if he'madfrthis experiment. I supplied a large quantity of poisoned gVain to both Ofcsgo and SouthlaiJd last- year, and ib may or may 'not be my preparation which is alluded to, but in justice to myaeltand other makers I must.statethafc poisoned wheat — or to be correct, wheat poisoned' with strychnine— is under most conditions not harmful to hens. I have prepared and sold to all parts of the colony for the last 16 years thousands of bushels, and fowls frequently stray round my works and clear up all spilt; grain, bu6 they don'b die. On the contrary, I have noticed that they commence to lay as soon" as 'I commence making poisoned wheat. Whether this is due to the strychnine or to the extra feeding they get at this season I am not prepared to say, I always tell my customers that a simple test for my poisoned wheat, without the trouble and expenee of analysis, "is to feed a fewhandfuls to ducks or geese : it will kiil them in a very-short time, but won't burl h«ti«." ' . I Late been asked, "Why not state on your

bags of poison that it won't hurt hens ? " Well, itLe reason for this is that I might get into trouble if I made this assertion, because I have known chickens thus to be billed by it, but only

wi/eii they have taken a full meal on a perfectly empty crop. I invite '" Apricola".to prepare <■ pome poisoned wheat of my strength — 2oz to : ta<? bushel — using pure strychnine, and try it on some hens, and then on some waterfowl. He need not fear for the hens. — I »m, &c, Ashburton, May 27; J. M. Cambkidse.