ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 76

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The regular monthly meeting of the Ofcago Acclimatisation Society was held on the- 2nd inst., there being present— Messrs Chisholm (president), Chamberlain, Forrest, Rutherford, Ba<rron, M'lntosh, Brinsley, Jenkins, M'Carfhy, Butterworth, and Brown. ANNUAL REPORT. The following is the forty-fourth annual report, to be presented to the annual meeting this week: Your council, in presenting the fortyfourth annual report and balance sheet, congratulates members on the continued success of the society.—Financial. —On reference to the balance sheet it will be seen that the re/enue fcr the year was £2005 16s 2d, and the expenditure £2219 lis, showing a debit balance of £213 14s lOd on the year's operations. The number of fishing licenses sold was: Men's —whole season 934. half-yearly 108; boys', 370; ladies', 68; perch, 20. The red deer licenses issued numbered 47, the fallow deer 97. and. imported game 6. X'ish Culture. —The quan-

TiSies of fry and yearlings distributed during the season were 1,409,100 brown trout, 199,220 Loch Leven, 93,455 Scotch burn, 67,000 Lake Blagdon, making a grand total of 1,769,175. Fishing.—For the third year in succession our rivers have afforded very poor sport. During October and November the usual good baskets could be obtained, but from then on to the end of the season most of our streams were very low, and afforded but poor sport, the Pomahaka being about the only stream where a satisfactory day's fishing could be got, and in this river a great many of the trout during the months of December and January succumbed to the abnormal high temperature of the water; and, to make matters wors9, during the last two months of the season the river was badly polluted by goid-d'ro*ging operations in the upper waters near Kelso. Deer. —The red deer herd originally liberated at Morven Hills is spreading as far as the Makarora Valley and into the Haast Valley, towards the sea coast, in the Westland province. Considerable progress has been made in culling the herd, but a good deal remains to be done yet in the lower portion of the forest. Mr S. John has been appointed ranger for the deer country, and from his intimate knowledge of the locality and habits of the deer your council considers Mr John a very suitable person. Mr John will have his hands full in shooting off inferior and old deer and supervising those employed in culling. He will also attend to stalkers, apportioning their blocks and managing all details in connection therewith. After the close of the financial year 27 deer-stalkers visited the red deer country, all of whom got their number of heads (four). A goodly number of very fine heads was obtained. The deer in the eastern part of the forest have spread as far as the head waters of the Dunstan Creek. Two local stalkers got some fairly good heads there this season (1910). The red deer turned out some years ago by Mr Quin in the Upper Pomahaka and Waikaia districts, where the rough nature of the country is most suitable for them, are doing well. Some fine heads have been seen during the last two seasons. The fallow deer on the Blue Mountains are holding their own remarkably well considering the large number of sportsmen who yearly take out licenses to shoot them. This season (1910) 80 licenses, each to shoot four bucks, were issued. Your council purposes importing from the Home Country some red and fallow deer to breed from in confinement and turn their progeny out into the herds. This method of introducing new blood into tho herds should answer well. The council, with a view to ascertaining the condition of things in connection with the red deer herd and country, appointed a committee, consisting of the president (Mr Chisholm), vice-president (Mr Brown), and Mr Cowie, to visit the Hawea district, which they did, and reported the result to the council. Winged Game.— Ducks are fairly numerous in the society's district. The paradisw duck, which has been protected for the last three years, is causing the settlers in Central Otago and elsewhere a lot of trouble l , through consuming their green crops and injuring their grain stacks to «, considerable extent. Your council thinks the paradise duck should be included with the grey duck and other game 'in the open season for shooting. Grey ducks and Californian quail are the only birds allowed to be shot in the society's district this sea son (1910) from May 14 to June 14. This society imported 50 partridges which came to hand m February and were liberated in the Tokomariri district. Several of these birds have been seen very recently by residents in the neighbourhood. It is gratifying to know that Mr Carr, manager of the Government Poultry Farm at Milton, has succeeded in hatching and rearing five nice healthy young Canadian geese from the parent birds lent him by the society, and that the manager, Mr Deans, has been very successful at Opoho in hatching and rearing a number of Golden pheasants and crosses between the Golden and Diarr.ijnd pheasants. Little Owls. — These birds have proved a great boon to the fruitgrowers in Central Otago, where* they have settled and bred. Unfortunately, a shipment of 100 of these birds was lost in the wreck of the Maori last July. Another shipment of 100 is expected to arrive- in August. Poaching.—We regret to state that poaching still goes on to a considerable extent in the society's district, in shooting out of season and taking trout out of the rivers by poisoning the waters and dynamiting. Several prosecutions took place and fines were inflicted during the past season. It would help the society greatly if heavier fines were inflicted by the magistrates, and if residents in the country assisted the society more in keeping down illegal practices. The council's delegates to the Acclimatisation Societies' Conference, held in Wellington, were the president (Mr Ohisholm) and the treasurer (Mr Chamberlain). The society is greatly indebted for the assistance of the local societies throughout our district, and to the Railway Department, Union Steam Shipping Company, Huddart, Parker, and Company, Shaw Savill and Albion Shipping Company, and New Zealand Shipping Company for the care and attention ■ bestowed on anything committed to their charge. GENERAL. Richard Berney, Ratanui, wrote asking if there was going to be on open season for opossums. They were proving a great annoyance to the settlers of Catlin's River by invading the orchards and destroying fruit. They even pushed their visits to the interior of the settlers' homes. An open season once in a way would be very beneficial, as they were as numerous as the rabbits. —The Secretary stated that he had had brought under his notice the fact that opossum skins were being offered for sale in Dunedin. —The Chairman said it should be made known that it was illegal to shoot opossums, or to deal in the skins. —Mr Brinsley strongly deprecated the making of an open season. Once it became legal to dispose of the skins, the opossums would be wiped right out. —It was decided to . leave the matter in the hands of the executive to make inquiries. The Secretary of the Geelong Acclimatisation Society wrote noting the decision of the Otago Society to reduce the price of brown and rainbow trout ova to 5s per thousand, and stating that his society has received an offer from the society in Cbristohurch similar to that referred to in the letter under notice. It had also been learned that Wellington was likewise prepared to supply ova at the lowe.r figure. ' However, the Geelong Society had no reason whatever to be in any way dissatisfied with the treatment received from the Otago Scciety, and as a good average hatchng could always be de-

pended on from ova received from this quarter it was decided that more than a "cut-throat" offer would be necessary to make it change its source of supply. The letter concluded: "I can assure you this society sympathises with you in the matter of competition. It is bad enough tc> i be undersold by a kindred society, but wnen a Government ooncern acts similarly IB has nothing in particular to be proud of. It was pointedly remarked that the letter should be sent on to the Government Tourist Department for its perusal.—The communication was received. The Nelson Acclimatisation Society wrote intimating that the six fallow deer sent by the Otago Society had arrived safely. The Nelson Society had followed the action of the Otago Society and ordered three stags from England for stud purposes. Efforts would be made to obtain as many quail as possible for the Otago Society at 3® per brace, f.0.b.. Nelson, plus ccst of cages.— Mr M'ln tosh said there were hundreds of quail in the district between Cromwell and Queenstown. One man had informed him that he had bagged 74. Such being the case, why not procure them on their own account? —The other members present doubted the statement, but Mr Rutheford maintained that large numbers of quail could be obtained in Otago Central.—lt was decided to accept the offer of the Nelson Society and to purchase 50 brace of quail. The Secretary of the Hawke's Bay Acolimatisation Society wrote asking what prospect there was of obtaining from the Otago Society some voung red deer from the Dingle Valley.—Ranger to report on prospect of obtaining the deer and as to cost, etc.

The Minister of Internal Affairs advised that an application had been received from seven residents at Rontrahere for an extension for one year of their permits to kill red deer and fallow deer on their properties. The opinion of the society was asked before the applications were dealt with.—The Chairman said the privilege had during the past year been very seriously abused by the settlers, and the society should protest very strongly against any renewal. —It was decided to forward a strongly-worded protest to the Government against the further granting of such permits. ranger's report. Mr Deans (Opoho hatchery) reported as follows for the month of May:—"The stock fish are now spawning and' all hands are busy with this work. Unfortunately the long spell of dry weather is preventing the brown trout from getting up the rivers. Mr Steven has been more fortunate in his distireit, having succeeded in ipirocuring 75,000 brown trout ova, and has altogether 400,000 ova laid down at the Clinton hatchery. An attempt was made to procure ova from fish in the salt water, but so far without success. However, another trial will be "made as soon as tide and weather are suitable. "For the purpose of ascertaining whether the partridges liberated recently had been seen on the Tokomairiro plain, I visited that locality a few Bays ago and found that they were occasionally seen by Mr Adams in the neighbourhood of Crichton, and one had been flushed the day before I was there, on the hills near the north branch of the river. With reference to the two brace of English mallards at Opoho, now that the Tomahawk lagcon has been gazetted a sanctuary for game I would suggest that the mallards be liberated there. It has also been suggested by some anglers that the old rainbow trout at Opoho be put into that lagoon. The culls from the young Loch Leven and Blagdon trout I would suggest should be put in the Leith, as they are overcrowded in the Opoho ponds."—lt was decided that the English mallards be transferred to the Clinton hatchery and a proper system of extensively breeding them be adapted.— The report, as amended, was adopted. THE MIMIHAU STREAM. Mr James Mitchell, president of the Mataura Anglers' Society, appeared in person to make application to the eooiety for assistance towards clearing broom from the banks of the Mimihau stream. The work would be supervised by the Wyndham and Mataura Anglers' Societies. —The Chairman said the Mimihau was an exceptional stream for , fishing, and he was certain they would .be doing the right thing in assisting the two societies. The upper reaches of the stream were very badly stocked. —It was decided to contribute £1 for £1 to the Wyndham and Mataura Societies towards clearing the broom on the banks of the Mimihau, the total cost of the work not to exceed £3O. It was also decided that sufficient fry to stock the upper reaches of the stream be forwarded.