The Rabbit Question. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 15

The Rabbit Question. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — This qtiestion is again to the front and surely the convictions obtained agains unfortunate sheep owners during the las month and the Aery able criticisms on tin ► methods adopted by our Rabbit departmen j in the columns of the Otago Witness shoul< stir up farmers to appeal against the unjus | law under which they suffer — a law whicl j permits no defence, the unfortunate farme being fined on the bare word of a rabbit agent Presumably the Rabbit Act was meant fo i the benefit of the farmer, and while the rah bit had no value us an article of commerc ; any method by which ifc could be destroyei ' could be adopted; but times change, and, a shown in your article, the rabbit export i now worth £140,000 per annum to the colony But does our aa-Dient Rabbit departmen

change with the times? Far from it; they I leave us comparatively alone all summer, but j ' as soon as the trapping season commences and > the. rabbit is of value, summonses are issued ' wholesale, and only those escape who truckle' to the rabbit inspector and destroy by poison food that could be obtained by trapping and ' sent to t London. If the department's system were to keep down rabbits there would be less cause for complaint; but trapping for the factory has killed out rabbits during the past two years, as all the efforts of the department have failed to do in the last 20. Perhaps the ground on which they go is from their experience on Earnscleugh s'.ation, which the department took over two years ago, and on which they started to show us how rabbits • should be destroyed. They put on an army of men, were even forced to employ the de- , spised Chinaman, and they poisoned to their ' hearts' content. The result at the end of the ' year financially showed a loss of £1300 to , the country, and, as everyone in the district j knows, the rabbits continued to flourish and i multiply exceedingly. Surely their experi- , enee here should lead them lo seriously consider if their methods are correct. It lias certainly had the effect of leading stock- I ■ owners tff lookrtpon their work as an example ■ of how not to do irr Perhapp, however, the destruction of the rabbit is against the interests of our army of inspectors, who. if their present billets were gone, would find j themselves much in- the position of the vii- ' just steward. ' ! This is a question for our A. and P. sociei ties to take up, and I Irunl it will not be al- | lowed to drop.— l am, elc, j March 14-. StuaTicns. J DUNKDIN MARK K IS. WHOLESALE PRODUCE REPORTS. J j Mr J. Fleming, Princes streec south, reports j i under date the 20th inst. :— * j Wheat per bushel. ■ per fern Best milling ... 2/7 i Barley dust ... 60/0' medium do ... 2/5 ' Oaten hay 5.76-57/fi j Fowls' ... 2/[— 2/.? ' Oatmeal, in 25V 220/0 ! Milling oats ... 2/ii ' Oaten chaff 55/0—65 0 ; Feed oats 1/11—2/0 I Byegrass hay 50/o— liO/ti i Malt barley 3/0-3/3 I Straw ... . 2"/0 | Feed barley 1/9-2/0 i Penrl barley ... £20/0 j Cape barley ... 3/0 i Onions 4/6 tos/or.\vt ! Maize ... ... 3/0 } per lb. , i ncr roii. , Rolled bacon ... 6J.1 Hour, in 200's ... 130/0 i Side bacon 7M | Elour. in 50's ... 340/0 ' Smoked hams . (T/8 ' . Pollard ... ... 70/0 ! Cheese ... 4}d to 5d ! Braa ... CO/0 ! (4oo<l salt butter sdto • b\', according to duality Fotatces : Kidneys (local), £1 10< to £1 15* per ton ; Oaniaru Derwents, £2 5s to £2 30', according to ciualily. Dpr>vent potitoes wanted. FARM AND DAIIIY ritODUCE Messrs Irvine smd Stevenson, George street, report paying for produce dining the weekending i the 20fch inst. as follows :—: — Bacon (roll), 6hd p. lb" Fresh butter, 8d and ' Flam, 7idp. lb <H p. lb s Fresh eggs, Is Id doz Salt Butter— Notbuying I I Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and }lb I prints), 6"d to 7d per lb. Pigs, 1201b to 1601b, 3id j pa- lb. Fowls, 2s to 2s 9 ! paiv. Ducks, 3s to 5s panGeese, 4s to Ss. 'lurkeys 4Vd per lb. CANTERBURY RAM AND EWE FAIR. ' CHRIHTCHURCH, March IS. At the annual ram and ewe fair to-day there ' was a good attendance, including buyers from the North Island and Otago. The entry was ovei 1000 le. n s than last year. Bicl- ■ ding for English Leicssters was very spirited, • and all good animals sold well, but other 1 classes, more especially -Lincolns, met with a i ■ ( dull sale. The market was topped by a very j ■ I fine Shropshire Down ram, bred by Mr R. » Parry, of Timaru, which fell to Mr Latter, i ; ,of Barry's Bay, at 61gs. In flock rams Border 1 Leicester,-, ranged from 2gs to 6Ago ; Lincolns, * fgs to sgs ; Southdowns, 3£gs to 6£gs ; English ' Leicesters, 3gs to 14-gs; Shropshires, 3gs to 5 7gs; and Shropshire ewes, from 3^gs to sgs. 3 In studs, Lincolns ranged from Bgs to 30gs ; - English Leicesters, from sgs to . 36gs ; and i Shropshires, 7gs to 61gs. The sale was conT eluded in the one day. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. j Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report that prices ruled as under at their aiict'on sale on Monday • — , Oals. — We submitted a catalogue of medium b to good feed to a small attendance of buyers. L Bidding for most of the lots on offer was slack, c but a iew lines of good feed were quitted at t prices on a par with late values. We quote: •J Good to best. feed, Is lid to 2s; medium, Is \ 9Jd lo Is 10id ; inferior, Is 8d to Is 9d per lX bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — We catalogued several lines of whole fowl wheat, for which there was limited de- '■ nmncl. Prime milling velvet is in request, and r other prime sorts are also saleable at late quo- '" tafcione. Medium quality is offering freely, and ® difficult to quit, except as fowl wheat, which sells at, for whole wheat, 2s to 2s Id; broken, 8 etc., Is 9d to Is lid per bushel (sacks in), s Potatoes. — None offered. Chaff. — The market is poorly supplied with .t baafc old oftien sheat, waiob, is jq demand at

slightly advanced prices. Good sound new chaff is also in fair request, but doubtful and interior lots are not wanted. We quote: Prime oaten sheaf, £3 to £B ss; good, £2 15s to £2 17s 6d; inferior and medium, £2 to £2 10s uer ton (bags extra).

Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited) report having held their weekly auction sale on Monday, when the attendance of buyers was small. Oats. — Our catalogue was made up almost entirely of medium and inferior sorts, for which the demand was dull. Good to best feed, on the spot, being- from Is to Is ll|d, but buyers are not keen. About lots to come forward, fair to medium Is 9d to Is lOd, inferior Is 6d to Is 8d (sacks extra).

Wheat. — There is a fair demand for prime milling at late rates, but other 'sorts are neglected. Prime velvet and Tuscan, 2s to 2s 6d ; medium and second class (nominally), 2s 3d to 2s 4d; fowl feed (good whole), 2s to 2s Id; broken and inferior, Is 9d to Is lOd (sacks in)'. Potatoes. — Very few offering at the moment. Prime Derwents, £2 os; do kidneys, 37s Cd to £2.

Chaff. — Prime old is scarce, and any coming forward finds a ready market ; medium and- inferior is hatd to place. We emote: Prime now from £1 15s to £3; old from 2s 6d to 5s more; medium to good, £2 10s to £2 15s ; inferior, £-2-to-£2 5s (sacks extra). • !

Messrs A. Moritzson and Co. report having held their usual weekly sale of grain and produce on Monday morning. There was a "fair attendance of buyers, but competition was dull for most lines offered.

Oats.— The demand is not so keen as it was, and prices are rather easier. We quote: Prime feed, Is lid to 2s ; medium and inferior, Is 7d to Is lOJd; jiriine milling, 2s per bushel. Wheat. — Prime milling has some attention from 2s 5d to 2s 6d, but medium samples are hard to place from 2s 2d to 2s 4d ; fowl feed, 2s to 2s Id.

Potatoes. — Market is bare, and prices are firmer. We sold best Derwents at 50s. Chaff. — Prime oaten sheaf is in short svipply, and sold up to £3 10s per ton. Other descriptions have not much attention, being worth £2 to £2 15s per ton.

AUCTION SALS OF PAT, HIDES, AND

TALLOW.

Messrs Maclean and Co. report: — We held oit usual sale by auction of fat, tallow, hides, etc., on Saturday, when we offered a moderate catalogue. The attendance of those interested was good, as also was the bidding, and all lots were cleared under the hammer at, the following rates: — Cow hides, 3Jcl to 33d per lb. Ox hides, 3kl to 3|d per lb. Ti'llow (in "tins and drums), 14s to 23s per cwt. Rough fat, 13s io 14s.

CLTJTHA STOCK SALE.

Messrs Maclean and Co. report : — We held oiir fortnightly sale at Balclutha on Friday." There was a fair all round entiy, and competition was good, resulting in every lot being placed at satiFfs.ctory prices. We yarded 555 sheep and lambs, 52 head of cattle, and 18 pigs, and sold at following rates: — Ewes to 13s 9d, lambs to 9s Bd, cows from £3 2s 6d to £4 15s ; mixed cattle to £2, pigs from 6s to 10s 6d; and privately since last report 760 sheep and lambs, and 140 head of cattle, besides horses and pigs.

DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Weekly Kenort. Wright, Stephenson, and Co. report as follows : —

We had a very mixed assortment of horses to offer this week — " contingent rejects," a few medium and aped draughts, and a lot of very indifferent hacks and harness horses. There was a capital attendance ot the -oublic, inclucHng a number of buyers from the country, wanting bussrv and spring-cai-i horses, and there were several buyers as well wanting heavy cart horses, four to <^ix yepTs old. Inquiry foi- good horses of all classes was brisk, imd we recommencT consignments for our special sale to be he'd on Monday, 26th inst. For this sale we have already stn entry of 40 good' useful draught and k^ht harness horses from North Canterbiiry. The sale to-day was a very satisfactory one, considering the class of stock offered. Most of the horses changed hands. On Thursday morning next, at 9 o'clock, we offer the Wurrington thoroughbred yearlings on. account of the Hon. George M'Leaii*; also several Stepniak colts and fillies for Mr A. A. M'Master, of Tokarahi (see advertisement). There will be no sale next Saturday. We quote : Superior young draught geldings, £10 to JJ4S; extra good, prize horses, £46 to £50; medium draught mares and geldings, J3O to £38; aged do, £20 to £27 , upstanding carriage horses, £25 to £30 ; well-matched carriage pairs, £50 to £Q0; strong spring- van horses, £22 to £28; milk cart and butchers' order cart horses, £15 to £20; tram horses, £8 to £12; light hacks, ±6 to £10; extra good do, .£ls to £25; weedy ami aged hacks and harness horses, £2 to £5.

THE LABOUK MARKET,

John Skene and Son report rinder date March 20:-r-Farmers are taking advantage of the fine weather to get their crops safely in stack. Orderß are cominer in freely for harvesters at

3d and 9d per hour, and weekly 30s and found. There is also a good demand for thorough ploughmen, 22s 6d pet week, and .£55 pet annum. Milkers we cannot get at 15s and 17a 6d. No person need be out of work at xaresent who is at all anxious for work.