MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 765, 11 May 1881, Page 2

MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

iNSPEOTOB , S i .E?PgRT.''' : '"'' , l';' The Chairman " ' ! --~ '..;" V;.; ; ' Mas'tertpn Rabbit Ulrosteei,'.,. ' • ■■ Sir,~l have the Jionor'to report for thbinformation of the Trustees that since their last meetintT rhawmade-atouf-of - inspection as follows :'-,■ •'•' ; On Monday, the 25th ultimo I made a thorough ihspeotiqn, of, the. properties ocoupiei jby.lMeaara K Jl Simthiaiid BaumW. Qn Mr Smith's land I did not see many although the traces showed, that the land haß, until lately ;»t all events, been ; thickly Infested/ A regular rabbiter' is employed/and I am of opiniorf'thatTMr JSmith-Wijiof japing his'iesttS feducltne pestA'&Me.not ,(iid .time to go over the grpund siiici, •; ■but believe poison-isinpw being) usee! pi---" tHi«;property^' J On J tHatr portioh of the; land in the occupation of Mr Baumbv, \ ; whiftH'still rerpflins covered'wttoaetnto,'-; the »Jibita'BrV;fiameT9ui! however, has a regular Vabfeit. ipoan in -his :'' employ, and; to) cb^ence/s.

pouowhg' »t once'' ! 'He Rbout to dear some ISO or l'io'acres'of •orub, which,wil},| !t e'atly.;asaißfin the destruction of the rabbits. On ths flowing day I visited thelarid .bilongmgto Messrs J, & D. Donald, and :■!■■ S. Mawley,* Ori:each- of'theao plticea :•-/■' regular rabbitters are kept, been, •' on all' the summeir,'' 'ftfessrs Donald'are eneldsihgl theirs vvith rabbit-proof fencing, and when that in complete they.will be ,to.,olear, their land effectually. r»bbW (^fficient k alepVa7elaiten : "tokeep them m check'. - [ •■• ■ On the 27th'l viaited Mr J. Matthews' land. Several of the paddocks are enclosed by gorae fences on this property, and I find the rabbits arei numerous.about themv-but there are" not many on the property otherwise. Talso visited the land recently purchased, by Mr Brown from'MrvfSr- Chamberlain, On the bou'ndary of ihislaud next the'Kuajna- . hunga the rabbits, are very numerous, Thereii'iio oberesidlrig on the land, and I am informed that Mr Brown is in Canterbury. v . . i' . . I" subsequently'': visited on the 29th the properties of Messrs D. Stewart, W. On the two formerthe; rabbits'are kept fairly in check. They are numerous, however, on the P'opeHJj fit Mr Bruce; but as Mr Bruce's son is kept constantly hunting with dogs and feints, and I believe every endeavor , is bejng'niade tA destroy thq rabbits which come.on the land, I attribute the numbers of rabbifi (d the fact that Mr Bruce's land is backed .by :Govornment land, and on another'.side he ia- joined by property owned .by Mr Oripps, on neither of which are ■strips taken to "keep'the rabbits in check, and on both of which they are very numerous indeed.;...-,.,, -, On : ' the','3oth 'iiuti I inspected the property of Mr T/1,." Thompson, Te Ore Ore. Avery considerable proportion of this property is clear and under cultivation ; on the edge of the bush which lies on the banks of the Wangaehu River I find,, the rabbitsare very numerous. No regular rabbit-man ib kept, but Mr Thompson and his men do the hunting. Poison is also about to be laid. 'I next visited the land belonging to Mr Joseph Bennett. I find on the hill knowp as Otahuao the .rabbits are pumerouß. poisoninga,bout ft 'q r bnjieve tbe'first' |.o 'commence this season, and lam glad to be able'to [report.that his efforts have been very successful so far, Mr Bennett having found several rabbits dead the day after the first /poison was laid. This should.encourage settlers to loae iio time in beginning systematic' poisoning, this beirijr-by.far the cheapest and n)o§t effective method of gj)ttjn;gr'jd>fthep,a,t, I proceeded,' th,ence. tp,l{r Hatfield's run The rabbits' gfe still numerous on this prqperty. A regular rabbitter is employed yith a good pack of dogi, Mr Hatfield hnqaelf hunts wjth a pack besides, and if he is unable to go he sends out a boy, so that; there are always two out hunting. Poisoning is also commenced on this property. ...... j•: ' ■::.•• On. the sth instant I revisited the properties.owned by Messrs W.,Day and D. McLachlah. I find since my first inspection of these, considerable efforts have been, and are being made to reduce the : . rabbits, poison has been laid on Mr Day's land, On the following day I visited' Me'asrs WWo? F 'every Mdeaydr't<j cW W land of scrub, besides hunting, and digging out the burrows'. On Mr Uvcretfa no scrub has beep out I believe since Hast visited it, I 'The rabbits are very numerous.- I am . Informed that he intends poisoning at once." Oh that pbrliou of Mr Whifcher's land adjoining Mr, Everett's, which is' swamp, land covered with high flax and •orub, the rabbits are very"numerous. Poison.is about tobe used on this property also.. .J'jiave tpdraff fjip aUeptipn pf the f'?s?§' to the condition' pf"a section ot oftheestate ofMrH, Welch, No one resides on the land; and the rabbits are very numerous, occasionally I believe lonia one is sent to hunt on the land; but no ofHoient means are being takeii to rediioe the rabbita, and great complaints 'are being made by. the settlers adjoining, '. Owing to the decision given in the case against Mr Jones in the R.M. Court'on Thursday, I find the notices served by me on Messrs Oripps and Morrison have no .effect. .It appears to be the opinion of the 'v Resident Magistrate MB' Wf.- l H » defendant 'has |M&VED | -nbJicej^nec'eß ? ary; 'this means f's?!j«e' less tkn 'personal j'er^e,,a.ndjßhall ! beglad.o| the instructions of the Trustees oh the question of' Serving nutices on absontee proprietors. ... I have, &0,, James Habve7 Jus,, Inspector.