SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 8

SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

FIGHTING THE SPARROW., ■■ , >; -;' '.;-;. • Chrlstohuroh, July-14 ; '\;, The question of the wisdom of importing' small owls'to deal with the small birds nuisance was mentioned- by. Sir George •'Clifford; at the meeting of the committee of the A. and P. Association to-day. 'Sir George said he thought that further information should, be procured before tho owls were liberated, for .ho had considerable doubts as to tho effect of the introduction. of' tho owls, not only on the: sparrow and other small birds), but on the native biTds. It seemed to him that the small owls -would, .commence by preying upon', the easiest victims, and. he thought that the farmers had all a sentimental interest in the preservation of tho native birds. 1 The interest was not altogether of a sentimental nature/for the native birds were insect feeders, and. were doing a certain amount of good in that way.. He had had to fight tho sparrows, as most' other farmers had, but up to the present year he ,had met with'' success. •" Last yeair bib oats crop seemed to be entirely destroyed, but this year the crop did not show any such destruction at all, arid ho. regarded that as- due to a different method ; of applying the. poisoned grain. "He. fancied that most farmers applied tho poison piecemeal.around their stables . and stackyards, . and'-' then thought the, method was effective., ifvthoysaw a number of dead sparrows lying about. This year he had tried'the oxporhncnt of

laying poison ovor all .the oats, paddocks, and the effect was not only to destroy a very much larger number of sparrows, but to ,drivo thorn away at a timo when they would otherwise ho'doing the. greatest amount of, damage. The process, however, was a -coßtly one, and one which many farmers could not afford the- necessary timo to carry out, but if it wore adopted and proved effective, it would bo far better than introducing ono of those moans of destruction, which, liko tho weasel and stoat, might turn out.to bo most detrimental in other ways.: Mr.. D. D. Macfarlano said-that owls kept to'tho plantations, and' so drove tho small birds out, and kept them ■ away from tho locality. Tho secretary promised to mako inquiries on the' matter; ; -.■'.'.'