ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 74, 26 August 1874, Page 4

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the council of the Acclimatisation Society was : tela yesterday at the Public Library. Pre 1 - sent—Messrs J. Wallace, J. P. Jameson. L. '.Harper, W. D. Carruthers, Dr Campbell, 11. B. Johnstone, J. S. Williams, and S. C. Farr (hon. sec.) . In the absence of the president, Mr L. Harper was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The secretary said he had acknowledged. Mr Lean's letter, which was before the Council at its last sitting. Mr Jameson said an order had been given to Messrs Taylor and Co. some time ago tp get £lO worth of tree seeds from the western side of America, and when they arrived it was found that they had only received seeds of Pmiis insignis, and he would not accept delivery. Taylor and Co. had, however, sold them since. !

The secretary said that he had not written to Nelson about the quail, as a difficulty existed in the matter of funds. J The Curator reported that the receipt df subscriptions for the month had been £2 17s, and from the sale of poultry, See., £5 10s 7d. The estimated expenses for September were £lO, The small, amount received for ' subscriptions was owing to the time of the curator being occupied with improvements in the gardens. One of the large glass-rear-ing tanks was nearly completed, and the material was on hand for the other, which, when finished, would complete the inside .fittings to the fish-house. Some of the young salmon parr were, beginning to show signs of changing to the smolt age, pre-' paratory to their salt water journey ; and it would be necessary to get the floating cage in course of construction as soon as possible; and the curator suggested that the expenses Should come out of the £3OO voted by the Provincial Council for the introduction Of salmon from America. Great exertions were being made this season to obtain a large increase of trout to supply the demand among members; spawning boxes had been made and sunk in the Avon, and some nests had been taken from the river, but- attempts made to capture the spawning fish were unsuccessful. Of the eggs taken from the river a large proportion ,were bad. Considerable success had been achieved with the trout in the gardens, and eggs to the number of 10,000 had been obtained,, a number of which were already hatching., , '',.,[! '. MrJamieson, said they had first better consider the matter of finance connected with the report, as the funds in hand were /very small, and he would recommend that the garden committee do with as small; a monthly expenditure as possible, as the balance (£200) in the bank was nearly-all forestalled. He had been looking at the ,Subscriptions and sales, aud he found that they reached nearly the same as those of last year. The vote of money to the society mentioned in the report was to be devoted to a special purpose, and he would ask that the garden committee endeavor to curtail their expenses as much as possible.; ; .'Mr-' Johnstone wished to know whether the expense, of the new fish tanks was authorised, as the curator said it was. ~-•.,,. , Several members expressed themselves that they knew nothing about the matter, but others understood that their construction was to be undertaken. ;':.., j The curator stated that about £7 would, complete the whole work. ... , After some discussion Mr, Jamieson moved :W'That the,sum of £lo,be voted to the ~garden, committee for expenses during ndxt month," which ; was agreed ,to. ~ Dr Campbell -stated that with reference ito the salmon' he was informed that £ooo had ~ been. voted by the Provincial Council for importing. Californian salmon; aud he considered it would be a farce to expend this money until the result of the present experiment, which had cost £2OO, was known. He ...then stated, the treatment which he believed should be adopted, by means of a cage, first ; submerged at the junction of salt and fresh . water, and afterwards removed further into the sea, of which method he, had already written. By this means they might be able to mature the few salmon they had, and obtain a . few parent fish, which would be more useful and worth more than spending £3OO by sending to America for eggs. Mr Johnson opposed Dr Campbell's method, as he did not see how this cage was to be kept .clear of slime, &c, and would vote for the : fish heing turned out and left to nature. At the same time he would support a proposition that a few of the fish be tried as suggested by Dr Campbell, and that an expense i: to the amount of £25 be gone to as an experiment. .Mr Carruthers would support a proposition : for lettiDg out the fish that were now ready. Mr Jameson would prefer that the experiment be tried first, and would suggest that the garden committee consider the matter of expense, and bring up a report at the next meeting. Di Campbell knew some Maori families at Port Levy who would be delighted to look after the cage if submerged there. ~ Mr Johnson believed that there were natural formations in the rocks at the Sumner entrance, .which might be fenced in. Dr Campbell believed that a place might be fenced in at Akaroa which would better answer the purpose. It would not take longer than a month to see whether the experiment would be successful or not. ; Mr Johnson proposed—" That Dr Camp- ; bell's scheme be carried out to the extent of .twelve fish,'and ihal l)xv remainder when ready be let out at Sianrnore bridge." Dr Campbell thought it would be better to leave the matter to the garden committee to report at next meeting. Dr Campbell's suggestion was agreed to, and the motion was withdrawn. On the recommendation of Col. Packe, chief ranger, it was resolved to recommend the appointments of Messrs Samuel Bristol (Timaru), and John Deans (Kiccarton), as rangers.

Mr Jameson proposed Mr Richard A. Frankish, Ellesmere, be recommended for the appointment as ranger, which was agreed to.

The following letter was read : " Christchurch, August 25. "To Mr A. M. Johnstone, Curator. Canter-

bury Acclimatisation Society,

" DBAR eiß, In reply to your application for a renewed subscription, I beg to hand you ss, the minimum amount which entitles me to a vote. My reason for not continning my previous subscription is, that J object to the principle of a few willing horses being taxed to maintain an institution which affects the general public throughout the province, I hold that acclimatisation and

the grounds connected therewith being matters of general interest, should be liberally supported out of the public funds, and that it would be just as reasonable to send the hat round for donations to keep the Domain in order as to continue doing the same with reference to the Acclimatisation Gardens. Why the north side of the Avon should be kept by Government in a condition which redounds to the credit of the province, and the society's grounds, equally public property, allowed to remain in their present disgracefully slovenly state, is to me a puzzle. "'Either acclimatisation and the premises pertaining thereto should be under Government control and be decently maintained or the whole thing should be dropped. I consider it a farce as at present. Until the Government through the Provincial Council are forced to recognise their obligations in this direction, acclimatisation in Canterbury will be a failure and a disgrace. " I am, See., " G. R. Blakistost."

Mr Johnstone moved " That the perch and tench a l -, present in the gardens be let out opposite Mr H. B. Wood's residence." Mr Jameson seconded the resolution, which was agreed to. Mr Jamestono proposed, '-'That the old trout in the gardens not required by the Society be sold to the public under certain restrictions."

Mr Johnstone seconded the motion, which was carried.

Dr Campbell desired to mention that they ought to endeavor to introduce leeches into the province, as those obtained here imported from Australia were nearly useless. He also believed it would pay to import them, and they could be easily introduced from home if Mr Bills received the necessary instructions. If Mr Bills would take charge of them he would undertake to have them supplied in London. On the motion of Dr Campbell, it was resolved—" That Mr Bills be written to ijo take charge of not less than 500 leeches," which will be supplied through his (Dr Campbell's) agency. A few accounts were passed for payment, and the Council adjourned.