SPORTING NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12474, 10 September 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

SPORTING NOTES.

RACING FIXTURES. • 1904. :■•. September 7 and B—South Canterbury J.C. September 3 7 and B—Morton J.C. Hack SeptembeY lo—Ashburton County B.C. Spring ' -. _ _ September 17, 21 and 24—Avondale J.C. SeptK*22-Lake Tekapo Boeing Club. September 29 and 30—Geraldine K.C. Spring. 7, 9 and Jubilee Metropolitan/Meeting - \\.

The good old days of the "common hack " are apparently gone for ever, for the hacks seen out at the race meeting this week were not only aristocratically bred, but looked tbj thoroughbred all over. We ara requested to contradict a rumour which sound currency at the Timaru races on the first- day. that the amateur ■totahsator officials got so fogged in working out a dividend on a race on the first daytnat they had to send the figures to the Washdyke school children to work out properly for them. , With the going treacherous in the extreme, the S.C.J.C. Spring meetiug was remarkable for the absence "of any serious accident. There were three -falls in tue two days, but neither, men nor hoises were hurt. This, generally speaking, is

excellent evidence of the cleverness of the horses engaged," and the skilful handling of the riders. '■ "... . . Hay-tedding in such weather as prevailed at the race meeting this week showed results such as are seen in well-stocked pig pens. In the end the mixture of hay, foam and slush was a better fertiliser than' »any turned out by the freezing works, and the appearance of lawns and paddock at the next autumn meeting ought to be green and rich-looking in. the... extreme Then, also, a fine crop of goloshes should • be reaped, as a good many pairs were reported to have been lost on Wednesday and Thursday last The visiting pressmen, at -the meeting had a. good time generally, and desire to heartily join us in thanking th« energetic secretary (Mr C. S. Praser) 'and his staff for their courteous assistance. Journalists have a busy time' at races, but their. labours are considerably;. lightened when accessory details are supplied to them, in a prompt and careful manner. The visitors' farewells with their comrades of the pen were fearty, as was the wish that next time they, came to Timaru the local men might surely see that the weather . was just a little more springlike and in keeping with the royal sport,of racing. '".' New regulations will shortly, be issued, to come into force on the Ist September, - 1905, providing that the mesh of flounder set Bets shall not be less than four inches for the whole colony; that the mesh of mullet nets in the North Island shall not ':• be less than 5i inches; and that the mesh of nets or seines used for taking all fish in the colony, except mullet, garfish and herrings, and flounders taken with set nets, shaH'not be less than. 2i inches; that the mesh of garfish and herring nets shall be * as at present, namely, 1 inch and 1£ inch respectively. The measurement of the mesh shall Unmade from knot to knot -- of opposite corners, instead of diagonally as at present. The rains this week will Vhave done a great deal of good to the rivers, in the - way of scouring out the slime, and. giving shingle and boulders a good scrubbing all round. The late winter was remarkable for the absence of the usual heavy floods, so that, although favourable to successful spawning, the level _of the waters was generally very low. In fact on Saturday last the rivers were unusually shallow, and. all ripples -were almost" tfossable in watertight, boots. So far as we can learn the prospects of the opening, of .the. fishing season now so close upon us are favourable. Hope springs eternal in the enthusiastic angkr's breast; though: last year was enough to break his heart, so poor was 'the all-round success. This year it is sincerely hoped will be better; but .tis " hard to foretell. The rivers are all as usn.il heavily stocked; but there is a vast between seeirc a. -we' l storked r'oM and catching some of the"sfof.k. The fish,' generally, last year .must have been in their teens, for "they were certainly mi<*htv shy of the angler, ho.matter how younsfor how old he was. Angling, like shooting, is nowadays not quite exactly the sport it is cracked up to be: but let us hope that there will be a-change for the better this year. Many of our readers would no fcloubt regret to see that School Sports Association, is now dead. "It started well; but an---noying postponements, and: lack of support from the majority of the. schools; le3 to the -winding up of affairs. . From enquiries made we learn that there, is not time, in the ordinary school day, to. tram pupils for the picturesque displays which parents and the general public so much like to see. Sports pure and simple, such as running and' walking, do not draw vide the beggarly support to amateur atheletics —and it was recognised that .jf wand and other drills, dumbbells displays, etc., could not be got up, it_wa.i useless carrying on. The upshot is that the Association will now devote their attention to cricket and football. These are no doubt grand games. We ."itf-. «*rr time played them with rag balls -and broomsticks, and with bladders; but these games are only for bpys. What are the girls to do? The wind-up meeting was attended only by men j art 'women not associates? We would respecfully that the girls be catered for'; that, for instance, a more scientific game of rounders be introduced, and that in the absence of tennis courts at a school;, that a large volleying-board be: put up'at the ends or sides of all schools. .It is truly wonderful the amount of enjoyment girls can get out of "superior" rounders and from ball practice on the board named. To return to the boys; generally speaking the maiority of masters know all about ' football; but, on the other, hand, very few can play or teach good cricket. Boys are allowed" to bowl, to bat, or to field, anyhow; and contract bad habits, of style that they never get rid of.. One' has only to visit a field where youna: men. are plaviDg to see shocking illustrations of this earlv«and inefficient training. A ] l masters should take lessons, and then they could coach the boys properly and intelligently. Even in football, with all its popularity, there is room for improvement, in ■ that boys are not properly taught the fihei points of the game, in passing, scrnmming, and goal-kicking. Let us hops that how the Association have only cricket and football to look after, that a vast and allround change for the better will soon be seen. Ere leaving this" theme, we ■ axt <rla«t to learn that the Amateur Athletk Club and Timaru and other clubs have treated the boys handsomely 'in th« way of free grounds to practise and plaj on. These courtesies are valuable, and the members of the Association are.deeplj grateful for the privileges which, the boys enjoy. ■'

FISH ACCLIMATISATIOIsy. , The Marine Department's report, which came to hand this week, states " The work of hatching and rearing salmon in the hatchery at Haka+aramea has been. satisfactory. During the year 5000 three-and-a-half-year-old Quinnat salmon,' 5981 two-and-a-half-year-old Sockeye, and 42,806 one-aDd-a-half-year-old Atlantic sarmoribave been liberated in the Hakataramea. river; and there were on the 31st March 700 fouryear and .230,000 four-months-old Quiphat, 2000 three-year-old Sockeye, and 4200 and-a-half-year-old Atlantic salmon in-three ponds at the Hatchery. The 300,000 Quinnat ova obtained from' the United States in January last arrived in splendid Condition, and the loss in unpaoVing and hatching out was very small. The shipment of 1,000,000 wliitefish.ova was not; however,, so successful The ova were in two cases of 500.000 each; 70 rer rent-.' of those sent to Lake Tekapo hatched out, whilst only 25 per cent, of those sent to I/ak«- Kanieri hatched out." It is advised that more American salmon and whiteflsh be imported this year. It is very interesting to turn from this, the latest official report of fish acclimatisation, to the reports of the seventies and eighties. If may be news to some of our readers that, the first whitefish came to the colony in 1877. Of this shipment of ova the Auckland portion, was the most successful. " 200 young fish coming out." Of the Canterb-ry shipment " every fish was lost." of the Dunodfrh " there was little or no sign oi ova, except here and there a smear of glutinouslooking' substance, with a vilt smell." Of

the second shipment south—" Two fish living ; eight ova yet to hatch." In 1880 two million more ova were imported, and illluck still followed them—the official report notes "the experiment has HttU chance of being successful." In 1886 another million "arrived in a putrid condition." This is the sad story, told in brief, of the earlier shipments ; let us as good sportsmen hope that the sequel now he inore successful, for the whitefish are most valuable and have delicately-flavoured "flesh. Coming now to the salmon, we Tat her regret that so much money and attention are being given to th& American varieties. What

anglers here and visitors from Home and the sister colonies would like to catch in j New Zealand wateres is not " Salmo quin- , iiat" ' (Californian salmon), but "Salmo salar," the king of fish that English and Scottish anglers tell such wonderful stories about, fish that try the skill of the most enthusiastic anglers in the world. It is strange, indeed, that Californian salmon breed so well here; in fact, are getting quite common; whilst on the other hand "Salmo salar," when once turnel out are never seen again. Records show that theso salmon were.turned out in the Waiwera (Oiago) so long, ago as 1868. The ova weve taken from the Tweed and Tay. No trace of them was seen in our waters. In 1871 a direct shipment was got from England ; nothing, came of the -effort. la 1874 and 1876 1589 salmon smolts were turned into the. Aparima, followed by 1700 in. 1878—"no proof (was. forthcoming) of the return of the salmon to the Aparima,' In 1884 the rivers of South Canterbury were Iried. and here, as in Otago and North Island waters, success was not attained The whole history, in fact, is sorrowful; bnt even so, the Government and the acclimatisation societies should nersevere; and with the up-to-date knowledge gained by the eminently successful breeding of "Salmo trutta" (sea trout, "Salmo quinnat" (Californian salmon). "Salmo fario" (trout), "Salmo mdens (rainbow trout), another effort to acchma--tise "Salmo salar" on a larger scale than of old misht prove most valuable.