RABBIT BOARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18758, 15 July 1935, Page 11

RABBIT BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING INSPECTORS’ REPORTS The monthly meeting of the East Coast Rabbit Board' was held to-day. Present: Messrs. M. T. Trafford, actingchairman, E. M. Monckton and F. B. Bouldj the latter representing the Department of Agriculture. The chairman, Mr. E. M. Hutchinson, is at present visiting the Galatea- district on board’s business. Three months’ leave, of absence was granted to Mr. C. G. Holdsworth, who is at present in England. Payments totalling £564 Us were confirmed. Inspector 11. Burgess, reporting • from Wkakatane, stated that during the past month his operations had been restrictedon account of the weather conditions, while tho work of tho rabbiters also had been held up. The rivers had been running very high and it was impossible to ford them. 110 had inspected the sandhills, Thornton, Whakatane, and llad’ found odd traces of rabbits. The matter was to be dealt with immediately. The Owhakatora and Ruatoki native country and clearings towards To Telco were clean, while similar conditions were found in' the direction of WaiOliau. However, since that time signs' had been found between Owhakatora- Greek and Ruatoki by one of the rabbiters. No indications of the presence of rabbits had been found either by the inspector or the rabbiter on Te Teko block. The bush' clearing between Waiohau and Ruatoki, where rabbits have shown up now and again in the past, appeared to he clean. As the. Horomnnga River was too high an inspection could not he made of that part of Hikurangi district. Odd traces lutd been found on Kopuriki lands and on ‘Galatea estate near the ll’oromanga River, otherwise there were mo indications in that area. A dead rabbit had been picked up at Pomiaua, but; there were no signs of rabbits there. Te Whait i country was clean with the exception of a -small clearing in the upper reaches of the Whirinaki River. Rabbits had been killed during the month ,as follows: —Galatea estate 3, Hikurangi 1, Murupara estate 3, Wliiriiinlri native country 2; total 9. Reporting from Wairoa, the subinspector, Mr T. E. England, advised that Wailiun, Stratholm and Mr N. Mac Kay's -stations had been worked and found to be clean, but a rabbit; had been caught on Mr A. Kirk’s property and another on the Waihua native country. On tin* Mohaka block single catches had been made at the pa and on the Mohaka native country, hut there had been no signs on Messrs. O’Grady and Oldham’s land. No further fresh signs were seen on Maungatnniwlut, but a rabbit, had been caught, on Mr Torbett’s and one On Mr Mathieson’s properties; the 'remainder of ihe iPutere block was clean. Nothing had been found on Messrs, Norris, Jeffreys, Howell, and Melville’s stations, while Patunamu, the Kahotea block, Run 38 and Wnhanui were clean. On Otoi three rabbits were caught and signs could still he seen there. Another rabbiter had been sent to that block to help in the cleaning-up. Mr England had traversed the country from the Waihi boundary through the native land to Whuknngaero and found i! clean. Conditions were similar on Ferndale, but on the boundary of‘Run 38 and Torhett’s property fresh signs were seen and a rabbit caught. He'had seen rio indications of rabbits when he inspected the country between tho Pukematai and Mangatopi streams. He had intended crossing the Wninu ,River on to Waireka reserve, but the river was too high. On Wahnniii, Pnianui, Cricklewood, Oliinepapn, Raniutu and Awaniate- nothing had been 'found. He intended to inspect the Xgatapa country as soon ns the we a-1

flier cleared. Rabbits were caught during May as follows:—Xgatapa a, Te Hoe 2,'Waihua native country 1, Mr A. Kirk’s property 1, Mohaka native land 1, Mohaka Pn 1, Patera 2, Otoi 1!; total, Hi.