MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3775, 3 April 1928, Page 1

MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Manawatu Rabbit Board was held in the Board's Office on Thursday, find was presided over by Tr. B. G. Gower (chairman). Also present were Trs. R. Boswell, T. A. Grammer, J. F. McKelvie, F. C. Raikes, J. Gloyn and the secretary (Mr. R. Ranfgiheuea). Apologies for absence were received from Trs. W. E. Barber and D. Fleming. , CORRESPONDENCE

was read and dealt with as fol lows:—

From J. Linklater, Esq., M.P., concerning'the Board’s request for opposition to the reintroduetion of the Summer Time Act. —Received. From the N.I. Rabbit Board Association, advising that the next Conference would be held on Wednesday, May 16th, 1928, at 10.30 a.m. Resolved to appoint Trs. Gower and Raikes as delegates to represent the Board at the forthcoming Conference. Accounts amounting to £B9 8s 8.1, ivere passed for payment. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The Inspector’s report was read and adopted as follows: — During the past month I have been engaged in the general inspection of properties in the Bcfhrd area. Unfortunately the continued spell of dry weather has not been suitable for rabbit destruction, as the few showers we havo had have not been sufficient to make the. land at all damp. Fortunately, breeding does not seem to have taken place to any great extent, and what breeding there has been, has taken place on the low levels and should we get a few days of. heavy rain, it will at least curtail breeding, and be responsible for the death of young rabbits.

Pollard has been laid in scrapes in certain areas, but “takes” have not been very good, owing to the dry nature of the soil and the hardening effect made in the pollard by the heat of the sun. Fumigation by means of cyanide has also been carried out on several properties, and has been wonderfully successful considering the dry nature of the soil.

The Board area is in much the same condition as it was this time last month, and in places it is in good order, but on certain areas more work will have to be done in the way of rabbit destruction. I trust that during the coming month we shall have a plentiful supply of moisture in the land, and when this takes place and farmers get to work with cyanide and poisoning, it should have a very beneficial effect in the Board area from a rabbit destruction point of view. During the past month I have had occasion to lay an information against a rate-payer in the Board area for failing to destroy rabbits.