FISH, FUR & FEATHER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 210, 31 May 1920, Page 5

FISH, FUR & FEATHER

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY'S ANNUAL REPORT In the thirty-fifth annual, report of tlia Wellington Acclimatisation Society, pombers aro congratulated on the satisfactory results obtained . Tho following were the receipts for the financial year ended March 31:—Bank bal« auco brought forward, £142 178. ( from sales of licenses (net), viz.: £902 10a. 10d.; game, £246 165.; deer, £211 3b.; iry Bold, £40 55.; fines S.M. Court. £62 Ib.; Government subsidy, £100; salo of land (Trentham), £49 ob. 6d.; donations, £42 16a.; subscription, 10s. 6d : rent haif-omce, £25; refunds-suspense acoimt, £7; Union 8.8. Co., £1 16s. 9d.; telephones, £7; rangers' expenses, £5 155.; witness's expenses, £2 55.; and sale of fish caus. £3-together, £184? 16s. 7d. Tho payments Tvero aa under :-On account of Hastexton Hatchery, £697 lJjs. 9d.; game and deer park, £27 16a. lid ; rangers' salarieß, £217 13b. 10d.; rangers expenses, £126 ss. lid.; secretary, £100; grants, £61 os. 6d.; petty cbbli (office), £18; advertising and printing, £41 19a. 3d.: rent of offlce, £50; delegates' expenses. £12 lis.; deer charges, £20 Is. Ud.; telephone. £10 10s.; purchase of shags' feet, £10 12s 6d,; and a 'number of small items, together, £1439 18s. 7d„ leaving a balance at bank of £409 18s. „ , The liabilities as at March 31 were ml. The cash assets amounted to £621 10s, 4d., consisting of fishing licenses, £29 175.: deer licensos, £130 75.; fines, £6; subsidy, £16 13s; 4d.; rent, £16 13a. 4d.; imprests, £12 Is Bd, and balance at bank, £409 18s. The sum of £81 10s.. ivas written off building, plants, fittings on account of depreciation, and £8 fines (uncollectttb'o). The accumulated fund now stands at £2035 10s. 4d„ an increase of £174 12s. lOd. The revenue derived from s<\lcs of liccnses showed marked improvement upon that of several previous years: Fishing, £913 12s. lOd. (increase, £213 17s. 4d.); game, £246 16s. (increase, £11 16s. 6d.); deer, £276 6s 6d. (increase, £69 2b. 6d.)., Jotal revenue from licenses, £1436 15s. 4d. Total incrcaße on 1919, £294 166, 4d. lineu amounted to £57 Ib., donations £43 6s. 6d., sales of fry £36105., surplus on game farm and deer park working account showed £75 3s. Id. Grand total, £1648 15s. lid. Fish and deer valued at £935 wero liber atedi, in tho society's district during tlio past year. "Tho season of 1919 was an extremely active ono (states the report) Tho trap in the Waipoua Elver was finished by May 15, but on 19th everything went out in a flood. Tho trap was at once replaced and one was put in tho lupumpuru Stream. The Waipoua trap was robbed, and a number of fißh taken, but no further mißhapß occurred, and a splendid run of fish in June enabled tho curator to finish up about July 10 with a grand total of 560.W0 eggs of good qualityin addition to.these, 250,000 wero purchased from tho Otago Society, and 250,000 from the Marino Department Hatchery at Hakataramea, making a total of 1,060,000 brown; 200,C00 rainbow eggs vera procured from the Government district (Taupo). All the brown ova was of high quality, whilst that from Ilakataramea was equal to any yet handled at Masterton. Tho rainbow ova was not equal in quality to that of 1918; 986,500 brown fry were reared and liberated. 0 "During the past year Mr. P. Carlson acted as caretaker; and looked after the deer fences. He was also employed to cut down and burn scrub in tho deer paddock, but members will learn with regret that he passed away after a brief illness. A temporary caretaker is at present looking after tho farm," and tho council is trying to securo tho services of a competent man. Tho deer herd now numbers l\, and la in good condition. During the. last winter the remaining old ninds died, and two hluu calvcß have been • left with the hern, which consists of 16 hinda, 2 hind calves, 3 stagß. ' . "In a paragraph of last year's report on the deer park, It was stated that tho Bocicty intended to approach Mr. O 1. Lucas, of Warnham Court, Sussex, England, with a view to importing two ctags and two hinds during tho following spring. Mr. Lucas, on reading tho paragraph, at once wrote offering to supply any deer required. Mr. T. E. Donne, of London, an old deer-Btalkor and lifo member ul tho society, willingly consented to hb.p in the matter, and tho New . Zealand Shinping Company agreed to convoy the animals to Wellington freo of freight and responsibility. Two two-year-old stags and two one-year-old hinds will bo shipped about October next, and if these reach tho Dominion safely they will be liberated with the herd at Parapnraumu deer park. "No attempt was made to rear phnasants during the past year The council invited quotations from all over the Dominion for the supply of two hundred five-month old birds-delivery during March and April, 1920. A North Canterbury breeder .undertook to supply, as many as possible at a reasonable price, any shortages to be made up in 1921; but a cold snap at a critical time killed all the chick? excent a fow. About a dozen birds, mostly two-year-old stock birds, have been purchased by a member of the council, and presented to the Roclety, and oil arrival will probably be to the small colony on Somes Island. The pheasant problem is a- difficult one in this district, but advices from I'Er. James Dobßon, of Aratapu, Northern Wairoa, indicate that ho is preparing thoroughly -lor the raining i of pheasants on a somewhat large scale. Meanwhile, sportsmen must continue .to » wait and hope. Possibly it would pay the society to pay a bonus to persons willing to breed ft limited number of : birds yearly. This system is in vocue in the Homeland, and is found to be quite • satisfactory. "The Beason of 1919 was only an average | one. »Some good bags of ducks were taken in the Manawatu and Kungitii:ei districts, and a number of black rwan in tho "Wairarapa, Hares were plentiful in the same areas. Quail were inoro numerous than during recent years. Pheasants were only -found in patches. - Taken all round, the Bportsmun was not unduly hampered by the weight of tho bag Still, a fair amount of sport was " provided. Financially, the returns from liconses wore slightly above those of laßt s season, viz., 252 licenses. Regulations for 192n arc similar to those of 1919. Cock 8 pheasants, hares, Californian and Australian quail may bo taken under license and grey duck, teal duck, and black swan without a license, with a limit por 11 day per gun of twenty-five Good reports como from Rangitikei and Manawatu. t Pheasants are showing up at Jiutfc, Linton, and towards Taihape. The season opened on May 1, and closes on July 31. "Tho season of 1919-20 liaß been uniformly good throughout the society's waters, with the exception of the Manawatu and MakaA kahi llivers. Tho former liaH been, as always, unsatisfactory, whilst the letter t. seems to suffer from lack of fish food more than tisli. Probably iNoveniber and April wero months which provided the " best fishing, many flno performances having been recorded. The Waikanae takes the palm as tho champion fly stroam, numerous limits having been taken. A d party of three Wellington men all took tho limit during tho last week of April, and heavy Ashing is recorded. Tho Hutt iiivcr probably carried more rods per mile than any other water in the Dominion, except id pcrhapT Taupo, for the holiday ' season i- Ono young angler took out 347 fish from October 1 to December 31, viz.: October, 75; 1 November, 114; December, 138. The limii was taken five times in November, chiellj & on fly. Another regular angler tooli ik 249 fish in October, November, and Do> i; cember. In April 1U fish average 31b. id 13 average 21b. (fly). v . "At Ohau a man fish average

41b.. at Akaturawa six fish average Jib. Tho Ruamahanga furnished some line sport, and the Wairarapa area hud rts bcJt year for fifteen seasons. Tlifc Heaviest fish known to have been taken were a 151b. hen rainbow at Rata (Rangitikei), on a minnow, a 111b. brown (bully) at Gear Island, Kutt River, a9lo. arown at fferetaunga, a 91b at. Oliau (lly). Tho liangltikei, Ilautapn, Ohau, Kawhatu. and Waimii were in good condition, and the Horowhenua Lake full of hah. Altogether tho season was solid; no fewer than 1230 licenses were Issued, which is a record. The financial return, £913 12s. 10d., is' very satisfactory, being tho best for years past." _______