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all got, whereas of those poisoned in the winter probably not more than a half or a third are got. That has increased the number of skins. It does not exactly indicate that the rabbits have increased. 1322. What system of killing do you adopt ?—Poisoning with phosphorized oats in winter, and last summer we practised trapping and shooting. We have some fifty or sixty men on that run, and we think we have got the rabbits very much under hand just now; but it has cost us a great deal of money to do so. The skins we get in the summer are perfectly valueless. 1323. What proportion of the expense do you think the skins would return, taking the year all round ? —Now I do not expect we get half of what the skins cost us, particularly with so many summer skins coming in. 1324. Less than 50 per cent. ?—Yes, at present prices. The price has come down very much. 1325. Do you poison at all in summer ?—No; it has been tried, but found to be no use. 1326. Do you turn out any natural enemies ?—We have turned out ferrets on nearly all our places. 1327. In what quantities ?—We have turned out probably a hundred and fifty on that particular run at Queenstown. 1328. Have you seen any results?— Yes; we believe they are increasing and doing some good. Of course they require to be in larger numbers on a big tract of country to see very decided results. 1329. But you are satisfied it is a desirable thing ? —Yes. 1330. What does it cost for ferrets?—We breed some and buy some. I have been paying 10s. each for them lately. 1331. You think it desirable to go to that expense ?—Yes. Of course it has been more experimental than anything else so far. We have not turned them out in sufficient quantities to keep the rabbits under. 1332. Do you find they die to any considerable extent owing to the climate?—l have not had it so reported. 1333. Have you ascertained that they breed?— Yes, we get young ones in the traps occasionally. 1334. You allow trapping?— Yes. 1335. Does it not follow that you kill ferrets by that ?—lt very seldom happens. Ido not know how it is. They may be a little hurt, but they are not killed, and do not receive permanent injury as a rule; so we let them go again. Sometimes, when they are badly hurt, they are taken to the home station and attended to until they are all right again. 1336. You have not tried stoats and weasels ? —No. 1337. Have you turned out any cats ?—No. 1338. They are spoken of as being effective?—l do not think they would do well in rough, high country. 1339. Why ?—lt would be too cold for them. Ferrets, of course, can go into holes and keep themselves warm, but there is no shelter for the cats. 1340. Do rabbits, in winter, remain up amongst the snow ?—They partly remain. They go into the warmer gullies and stop there. They do come down, of course, to a certain extent. 1341. Do you buy ferrets from the Government ?—-No; from men who breed them. There are a number of rabbiters in the country who breed them, feeding them with the rabbits that they kill. We have also imported them from Home, but those have not bred nearly so well as those purchased in the colony. 1342. Can you account for that ?—No. 1343. Which kind was it?— They were mixed—grey, and white, and brown. 1344. The brown is said to be the strongest ?—Yes; we like them the best. 1345. Are persons in the neighbourhood you speak of taking an interest in this question of killing rabbits ?—Some of them are; others are very lax. We have had trouble with some of our neighbours in that respect in connection with that particular run. One neighbour who has not killed down the rabbits sufficiently—our manager wrote to me the other day to say it cost us £600 or £700 a year extra on account of this. 1346. You have an Inspector, I suppose?— Yes. 1347. Does he not compel them to kill? —We have complained to the Inspector several times about it. 1348. Has he not taken any steps in reference to the matter?— Whatever he has done has not had the desired result. 1349. Does the Inspector ever go round to these places ?—He is supposed to go all over the country. Ido not know how often he goes, lam sure. It is quite convenient, I believe, to where he lives. I believe he lives at Cromwell, and this place is within a few miles of that township. 1350. You do not know, yourself, whether he does go ? —I cannot speak personally as to whether he goes or how often. 1351. Do you know that his duties are so onerous that he has not time to attend to that district ? —I do not know. There are plenty of Inspectors, I think, for the country they have to go over. In my opinion, there are too many Inspectors. 1352. Are they inefficient men, or is it that they are indolent?—A great many of them are men who have been of no use elsewhere, and have not been able to make their living, and have been loafers to a great extent. I know a good many of them of that description. 1353. You are speaking now of Inspectors, not of agents ?—I mean both agents and Inspectors. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the one from the other. 1354. You know that the practice is for the Inspectors to appoint rabbit-agents to go round and examine the country. Do you think that is a satisfactory way of doing it ? —No; because I think