WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 July 1911, Page 2

WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

ANNUAL REPORT. INTERESTING LOCAL ITEMS. Tho twenty-sixth annual report of the AYollington Acclimatisation Society affords evidence, of the excellent work that the institution is performing, and tho local items > will, n:o doubt, bo read with special interest hy .sportsmen in Horowhenua County. It is pleasing to learn that notwithstanding tho loss of revenue, caused by tho restricted! gamo .s'hooting season during t'ho past year, the Council, by tho exorcise, of strict economy, lias succeeded in wiping out liabilities- to the amount of C29(5, and leaving the Society in a satisfactory position. Notwithstanding the best ondoavours of tho Curator (Mr Ross), {.lie raising of birds at the Paiaparaumu game farm lias not resulted so satisfactory as last yonl , , owing to the depredations of stoats, weasels, eat*, and hawks. These, vermin are. increasing so rapidly as to make it almost impossible to save the birds from destruction : ')■") stoats, V 2 weasels, 0 hawks, and 3 cats wore destroyed by tho cum tor. Tho Question of continuing the breeding of birds AT PARAPAE.VIjMU should bo carefully considered, by tho incoming council. Tho number of birds reared during the past season was: Pheasanls, loO; duu-ks, 11.7; total, 207. There are now on tho farm: Pheasants, (50; diucks, 70; total, 130. In regard to .shooting tho sport points 'out, the pukeko aro protected this season, except in the following specified area : —The area contained within a-line starting from Shannon on the Man■awafcu Railway line; thence- hy a straight lino to Kairanga; thenceto Glen Oroua: thenco to Carnarvon and tho sea ; thence along the .seaboundary to the south bank of tho. M'anawatu river: thence following the river to tho bridge on tho Foxton and Shannon road; and thenco to Shannon. Fifty-five, thousand brown trout ova were- 'obtained, from the Government hatchery at Hakataraniea, and "125,000 Rainbow ova from Rotorua. The ova arrived in good condition, and hatching commenced about .luiio 15, resulting in 470,000 brown, and 110,0000 rainbow fry. The brown fry, with iho exception of those retained for yearlings, were liberated in your society's district, as also wei-e 3320 yearlings from Mastorton, and 1100 from Akatarawa. Thirty-four thousand trout fry (brown), were liberated

IX LEV.IX in 1910-11. n.nd 250 yearlings (brown). The rainbow fry was sent to the Hawko's Hay society, with tho exception of 3000 to Manga weka. Brown yearlings now in tho Masterton ponds number about ~>ooo, and arc doing noil. Those at Akatarawa liave been, liberated, lint, unlike the previous lot, were not a success, numbering; only about 300 out of r>ooo fry put in. ' Fish do well in this piuid, but need more attention than can lie bestowed upon them under under present circumstances. During the early part of tho season, lishing was fairly good ■particularly in the Wairarapa, but the exceedingly dry summer militated very much against tlic latter portion. The lease of tho Masterton fisli pond expires in July, 1013, and at the request of your council the Government have agreed to allow the Inspector of Fisheries (Mr Ayson), to visit and report upon various sugosfed sites for a now hatchery, which should be initiated: during tho coining year, After having given the question careful consideration, t'ho council decided rot. to ice Minuend the opening of the reserves at Paraparauinu and Wai-nui-o-mata this season, but is of opinion that next fieason they might, lie opened to a limited number of stalkers. The newly-established] herds were supplemented this year as follows:—Taulieriiiikau 3 hinds, Wa-ignawa 2 stags, Eket.ilni.na 2 statis. MaiMitratarere 2 stags, Wai-nni-o-mata, 1 stag, and 3 stags and 2 hind.s wcvq liberated near THE OUA[T RIVER. For the past .season the revcjiue. from deer .stalking licenses was £210 2s, and this will probably bo exceeded during tho present season. The council did not organise any deer capturing expeditions, but obtained from Mr Jackson, of Gladstone, 13 red deer calves, nine, binds and four stags, and one stag calf from Mr Bubh Of this number six hinds were sent to the Game Farm, five .stags to the Hawke's Bay Socand three hinds wer- liberated .it Taulieriiiikau. Tin.; past season lift pen cavles wero dropped within the enclosure of the game farm Tho "Warnhain park hinds calved about tho same tiiiia a.s the others, showing that they had become acclimatised. The two English stags have now good heads of M points. Xow that the deer in the park are doing so well, each year the society will have deer to turn out bred from the Warnhain park herd, and so be able to supply to the other hcnls a change of blwd. Owing to the door being .so numerous on the IJauiiuigi reserve, the whole of the reserve was. on the recommendation of the council thrown open to stalkers for one. year. From report* to hand it would appear that tho heads- obtained for the current year are on the average

better than those obtained last year ("MHO). During the year a considerable* NUMBER OF STAGS with deformed heads and hinds have been .killed, and the. new council will havo L"> consider the question of authorising a competent man to kill stags with deformed heads and old hinds during the winter months. The> report contains a statement from the Pahm T-.toa North* committee, which, inter alia, points out that during t>! p> p:\st season 135,000 fry wore .■■.Hotter! to the district, and were liberate:! in the. Ivaihiitarawa, the. I.Vhangina, and 'other streams in the district Besides the fry. l 2~>{) yearlings were fecsived and liberated. Consignmsnts of mnlla.nl duck were n,lso received and liberated.