H.—l6

6

year. General Bemarks. —All landowners in this county have worked well for the last twelve months to keep down the pest. I have no doubt this winter's poisoning will reduce the rabbits to a very low minimum. The ferrets are doing good work wherever they have been turned out, especially amongst the young rabbits.

From Eabbit Inspector Miles, Clyde. (1.) During winter months simultaneous poisoning on boundaries ; remainder of year trapping, shooting, and digging out; principally trapping. Ferrets have also been turned out by several parties, and a few stoats and weasels were turned out at Lakes Hawea and Wanaka by the Government. (2.) None. (3.) Most satisfactory work has been done by one and all, with the result that rabbits are greatly reduced throughout the county. The sheep clipped remarkably well, and are in fine condition. The lambing would have been excellent, but for most unfavourable weather during lambing. (4.) Four. (5.) £709 lls. (6.) Four—namely, Black's Commonage, containing about 1,700 acres; Clyde Commonage, containing about 6,000 acres; Cromwell Commonage, containing about 8,000 acres; Hawea Hundreds, containing about 12,000 acres: total area, 27,700 acres. Contracts have been let for Clyde and Cromwell Commonages. And in the Hawea Hundreds, as rabbits are greatly reduced and confined to the boundaries right away from the settlers, I put on a wages man at 30s. per week and phosphorus, he to find his own grain. Other Government lands are grazed by neighbouring owners, they keeping down the rabbits. (7.) None. (8.) 801b. (9.) 5401b. (10.) 1,895,940. (11.) Two. (12.) Two. (13.) None. (14.) None. (15.) Five. (16.) About 450 ferrets turned out. No perceptable good known anywhere. Some stoats and weasels were turned out by the Government, and are apparently doing well. General liemarks. —The united and simultaneous work done on boundaries during past poisoning season, being the result of the meetings convened by me throughout the county, resulted in great slaughter amongst the pest, and, as all landowners kept men on during the spring and summer months, and thus checked the increase, the rabbit nuisance is greatly decreased throughout the county. The high country generally is perfectly free from rabbits; and, as they are confined to the low ground, and not scattered to any great extent, a judicious and simultaneous poisoning this winter should reduce the pest in Vincent County to a minimum.

From Eabbit Inspector Boukchieb, Queenstown. (1.) Poisoned grain by phosphorus, trapping, dogging, and shooting, and by means of turning out ferrets. (2.) That the Government should continue to turn out stoats and weasels, especially on the back country, it being so inaccessible that there is hardly any probability of clearing same, except by natural enemies or some disease. (3.) There has been good progress made during the winter months, and the rabbits were greatly reduced; but they increased rapidly in the spring, when they would not eat poison. (4.) Four accepted, six completed, one cancelled. (5.) £423, about. (6.) About four hundred reserves, mining, quarry, and the banks of rivers and creeks, chain on either side, and blocks reserved for settlement. Over 40,000 acres, or thereabouts. '(7.) 501b. (8.) 401b. (9.) 4001b. (10.) 720,000. (11.) Nine. (12.) Nine. (13.) None. (14.) Patterson, Mcßride, Brown, O'Kane, and Hallenstein. (15.) Fourteen. (16.) Yes; but not in sufficient number to make any appreciable difference jet, although in places it can be seen. Oe?ieral liemarks. —Owing to the nature of this district, it is rather difficult to keep the rabbits under during the summer months, as it is not much use laying poison then, as only a few eat it, and it seems to frighten the others. Where poison is only laid in the winter, the destruction is ■ far greater and cleaner. The stoats and weasels were seen several times since their release hunting, and the ones seen were looking well. One was seen three miles from where it was originally placed, hunting rabbits. I think that the Government should continue to release stoats and weasels, as they can go after rabbits into country where man has never been, and where the rabbits will restock the cleaned country from.

From Eabbit Inspector Hickson, Tapanui. (1.) Poisoning with phosphorized grain in the proper season, the remainder of the year trapping and snaring ; Burt's and Watson's exterminators, bisulphide of carbon, shooting, ferreting, dogs, and digging out. (2.) That County Councils should be answerable for the destruction of rabbits on reserves and commonages in goldfields districts, from which they derive a revenue. (3.) Very great progress has been made, which the country from its appearance will show; also the number of sheep in my subdivision by last year's return over the previous. I also expect the coming one larger still. (4.) Ten. (5.) £266. (6.) 34,804 acres, comprising bush reserves—Tuapoka West District, 2,801 acres; Glenkenich District, 911 acres : both of which could be leased, with timber right reserved. Mining reserves: Tuapeka East District, in different blocks, 2,316 acres; Waipori Commonage, 2,160 acres; Mount Benger Commonage, 9,000 acres; Poinakaka Hundred, Eankleburn District, unsurveyed, about 15,000 acres; the balance not available. (7.) 471b. (8.) 5911b. (9.) 4121b. (10.) Unable to find out the number. (11.) Seventeen. (12.) Sixteen. (13.) One. (14.) None. (15.) Three on large scale, a number on small. (16.) Numbers have been turned out. Eesult not seen yet; ferrets spread over country when released. General Remarks.— The Act generally has been a great success and worked well. I have this year a greater extent of country to attend to than last, through two runs and several pastoral deferred sections being cancelled. I called meetings in different parts of my district last year for the purpose of getting the settlers to take combined action in laying phosphorized grain, and also had Vigilance Committees appointed, from which there was a good result. lam also doing the same this season. I have had to employ extra wages-men in consequence of the above two runs and pastoral sections being cancelled. In all probability the whole will be soon re-leased.