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plentiful. (4.) Four. (5.) £45 ss. (6.) Eight —hundreds; native, mining, and bush reserves—about 6,900 acres in all; about 5,000 acres suitable for grazing. (7.), (8.), (9.), (10.), (11.), (12.), (13.), (14.) Nil. (15.) Eighty-two sent to Queenstown ; thirty-two sold at Balclutha ; eighty-two sold at Lee Flat Station, and to other owners in the district. (16.) About 180 at Gladbrook Station ; sixty at Lee Flat Station. Satisfactory. General Bemarks. —l regret that settlers in this district are generally averse to liberating ferrets on their properties, but I endeavour to encourage them to keep workingferrets. I find " bladder worm "is showing among the rabbits in the Strath Taieri portion of the district. A few rabbits are occasionally found which have died from the effects, and many at poisoning last year were found affected with the disease; but it does not appear to be sufficiently infectious to be regarded as a means of extermination.
From Sub-Inspector B. Fullakton, Balclutha. (1.) Poisoned grain in winter, trapping, shooting, dogging, digging out the burrows, working ferrets by hand, and turningout ferrets. Bisulphide of carbon has been used on some holdings with good results. (2.) Gorse, which is allowed very much to spread, should be dealt with by Act of Parliament : it is one of the greatest harbours for the pest, and I would recommend working ferrets by hand to be encouraged. (3.) I find rabbits are not so numerous, as a whole, as they were last year in some parts of my district. They are greatly reduced on the open country ; the bush is the great harbour in the Clutha, and it is difficult to get at them there. (4.) Two. (5.) £58. (6.) Twenty-two reserves and unoccupied land: approximate area, a hundred thousand acres— about fifteen hundred acres rough pastoral country, the remainder mostly dense bush. (7.) Eightysix. (8.) Nil. (9.) 1301b. (10.) Five. (11.) Five. (12.) Nil. (18.) W. Ford, J. Hume, and Clutha Biver Trust Board. (14.) Three. (15.) 655. Not able to say as. to results —only lately turned out. (16.) About 130 stoats and weasels have been turned out by the Australian Land Company on Clydevale Estate; they have not as yet shown any results. General Bemarks. — On the whole, rabbits have decreased considerably since last year, and with a good poisoningseason I think we shall be able to reduce them to such an extent that they will not be felt as they have been in some parts of this district in past years.
From Sub-Inspector T. J. Miles, Lawrence. (1.) During winter months poisoning, during remainder of year shooting, trapping (in places), ferrets in hand. (2.) That ferrets in large numbers be turned out immediately after poisoningseason in order that they may cope with the increase during the breeding-season; also that the gorse nuisance be taken in hand. (3.) Very good : rabbits are less plentiful just now than at same time last year. (4.) One. (5.) £72. (6.) About fifty thousand acres, mining, bush, and commonages, and unsold lands; about one-half available for grazing purposes. (7.) 1421b. (8.) Nil. (9.) 611b. (10.), (11.), (12.), (13.) Nil. (14.) Ten. (15.) 500. (16.) About seven hundred, with good results. General Remarks. —Where ferrets have been turned out after poisoning in sufficient quantities the decrease of the rabbits is most marked; but so far the number so turned out is far short of requirements, as where there are ferrets you must not employ rabbiters unless with ferrets in hand; and if the natural enemy are to do any good it must be left to them during spring and summer, and to poisoning in winter.
From Sub-Inspector J. M. Scott, Queenstown. (1.) Phosphorized grain, trapping, ferreting, digging out, and fumigation. (2.) Nil. (3.) Very satisfactory work has been done. lam much indebted to section 11. (4.) Eleven. (5.) £228 17s. 6d. (6.) Seventeen reserves, mining, agricultural, and bush, some 20,750 acres ; Crown runs 455, 458, and 36, with the exception of about five thousand acres mining and bush reserves. All fit for grazing. (7.) 1051b. (8.) 21b. Phosphorized grain, 2,7711b. (9.) 4401b. (10.) Six. (11.) Six. (12.) Nil. (13.) Twenty-eight. (14.) Four. (15.) 325, with good results. (16.) 236, with good results.
From Sub-Inspector E. Orbell, Lumsden. (1.) Phosphorized grain, ferreting with nets, turning out the natural enemy, trapping, shooting, and hunting with dogs. (2.) Trapping, and hunting with packs of dogs, to cease. Inducement to be offered to the tenants of the pastoral Crown lands, so as to encourage them to breed and liberate the natural enemy annually. A rabbit-proof fence to be constituted a legal fence. (3.) Owing to the short time I have been in charge of this subdivision, I am unable from personal observation to report. (4.), (5.) Nil. (6.) About forty thousand acres, bush and mining reserves, hundreds, and unsold sections. Approximate area for grazing purposes, fifteen thousand acres. (7.), (8.), (9.) Nil. (10.) Two. (11.) Two. (12.), (13.) Nil. (14.) Twelve. (15.) 839 ferrets, with satisfactory results. (16.) 500 ferrets, with satisfactory results. General Bemarks. —The natural enemy to be liberated in the spring months as far as it is practicable. Legal authority to be given to Inspectors to order occupiers of land, when necessary, to cut and trim all live fences which in any way harbour rabbits. There is no difficulty in rearing ferrets in this locality at an expense of ss. each. The wild eais* are increasing, and doing good work.
From Sub-Inspector A. Wachbmann, Gore. (1.) Poisoned grain, trapping, dogging, ferreting, shooting, fumigating, and digging out. (2.) That notices under clause Bbe done away with ; that wire-netting fences be made a legal fence ; that greater
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