RABBIT CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 56, 29 November 1946, Page 7

RABBIT CONTROL

PONGAKAWA AREA BOARD’S MONTHLY MEETING ■ The monthly meeting of the Pongakawa Rabbit Board took place at Paengaroa last Wednesday. Present were Messrs. J. N. Blaymires (chair), A. H. Jamieson, R. F. Black, C. H. Davis and M. B. McKenzie. An apology for absence was tendered on behalf of Mr D. J. Dennehy. The secretary reported that the petition and a|J relative papers, including the plan, had been forwarded to the chairman. Mr Blaymires stated that he had this matter in hand and the necessary papers would be handed to Mr Reid for the purpose of obtaining signatures to the petition, and he would explain to Mr Reid the necessity of obtaining a list of ratepayers from, the County Clerk. A letter from the Lands and Survey Department with regard to the payment of rates was read. The letter stated that arrangements had been made to pay rates totalling £4O 9s lOd as per the demands. The secretary reported that no reply had been received from the Department indicating whether the 1947/48 rates would be forthcoming. A letter from the Department of Agriculture was also tabled. This advised that a grant of £525 had been authorised in favour of the Board for fumigation on grass land in th® district, subject to this being expended "prior to the 31st March next. Resolved to place on record the Board’s appreciation and the secretary was directed to write accordingly. Inspector’s Report The Inspector, Mr C. H. Davis, reported that with regard to the. grant, he would advise spending the money as in the past, i.e. by the use of dogs and pumps on all grass lands, Crown, Native and private to chase rabbits into their burrows and destroy them with Cyanogas pumped into their holes. Any nests found would also be destroyed by this method. For this work the permanent staff would be used with casual labour where available. Another two cases of Cyanogas A dust and 5 tins of granulated would be needed for the work. “I would like to suggest to the Department,” he continued, “that better use I consider, would be made of this grant if it were three months earlier in the season. We would then be able to deal with most of the season’s first litters before they left their burrows as runners, when they scatter all over the country and are much,harder to destroy. The young does that were missed from the season’s first litters are now leaving their first crop. These would have been born early in August. This applies to the most of our district. The exceptions are Rerewhakaitu and Murupara where the breeding commences a month earlier.”