SMALL BIRDS PEST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 3 October 1911, Page 8

SMALL BIRDS PEST.

CONTINUED SLAUGHTER FAVOURED Tho small birds pest, which looms up ill tli(! south ijeriouiCiilly, wns again disciiiM'd at AsliuuiUm last wiek u.v ijiuo 10 delegates, representative, of tlio lccal bodies in tho country. The chairman, ill 1 . John Lambie, said that for many years the. Cuiinly Council had uunually expended ii large amount of money in taping tho small kinls in ehc-ck, but sincu tlio grass grub had became such a pest is diversity of opinion existed as to whether it was advisable to destroy small birds in a wholesale manner. Sonic farmers v. ore of opinion that small birds Corourcii the grass grubs, white others expressed an entirely opposite view. The County Council, recognising that there was actually a divergence of opinion among the farmers regarding the advantages or disadvantages r-i small birds, decided to call a mooting ol members of local bodies for tlio purpose of arriving at some definite conclusion as to the best .steps tu take in the mutter of the suppression of small birds or otherwise. Thin year tho County Council had reduced its price for small birds' heads from 9(1. to lid. per dozen, and it appeared that this step had not given general satisfaction. Dr. Lainbie then asked the clerk to vend some figures showing tho actual amount expended by the council in the purchase of eggs and heads of small birds for the. periods given. 'J'heso were as follow :- From • April 1. 1911, to September 29, 19il, the council purchased 11.071 eggs and heads of small birds (.£ll 10s. 7d.), and U2,G!U heads of old birds at Gd. per dozen (.£234 15s. 7d.). The figures for the period commencing on April 1. 1910, t:> March 31, l'.Ul, wore: Eggs and heads. s'j:i,',!lß (X(UB Is. o<1.) ; old birds' heads, 2J0.150 (,£IOOO 12.*. C(l.). It was reported that a trapper.in th,o liakaia district, had sold '15,2;18 heads to tlio council, which, at lid. per dozen, brought him in n .lfvenuo of J3H -Is. Id. from the period between Juno 20 and September 20 this year. After a long discussion, tho following resolutions were carried, on the motion of Jtr. John iStudholmo-.— "That in the opinion of this meeting the extent to which the house sparrow, skylark, greenfinch, and yellow hammer feed on the grub and other insectivorous pests is insufficient to in any sense compensate the farmers for the damage they undoubtedly do to growing crops and grain." "That the County Council continues its policy of destroying small birds, namely, by purchasing heads and eggs, and the distribution of poisoned grain, or nny other method the council may think advisable." GENERAL FARMING NEWS. Mr. C. J. Eeakes, Chief Government Veterinarian, an<l Mr. J). Cuddie, Chief of tho Dairy Division of the Department of .Agriculture, who are at present in tlio Wairarapa, will probably pay a visit to the Ualliiuec Dairy Company's Scarborough creamery to-day, ami examine the system of pasteurisation which is in operation. Of the consignment, of CO little owl* dispatched from England to the order of the yVniniatc County Council, at a cost ot ,i's9, only U readied their destination, ami two of these died the day after their arrival. .The small bird nuisance is reported to bo even more acute about Wamiate tliis season than before. The conservation of the cow's energy, so as to encourage the best milk supply, has got to a fine paint, in proof of which the following from tho pen of Ily. Wendinning, Ontario Co., Ontario, may be quoted: "Every time a cow switches her tail to knock ofF flies she u;es same energy which would otherwise go to milk production. Moral:. Spray the cows." An itch is reported to have broken out among several cow herds in and mvhiki Blenheim, and hns made its appearance on cows which have had no opportunity of coming into contact with others. Th° past winter, which was regarded a? one of the mildest vthat has been experienced in Marlbarough for some time, appears to have been more severe than was at first anticipated (says the "ExnreV). This applies moro to the mountainous country by which the Wairnu Plain in surrounded, where heavy falls of sr.ow and some exceedingly rough weather were felt from time to time during the winter months. It is reportrd that the extremely cold weather experienced on tJie rough country at the back of the Ilillerf.U'n station was responsible for no le?s than 2000 deaths among tho sheep running there.