FERRETS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1177, 13 September 1882, Page 2

FERRETS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sik,—ln your ia«iv .if lim sth a ln'mr appears from Mr Walter Gibson, jn which lie says that ihe letter uf "Justice," which appeared in your paper of the 16th August, is unworthy of credence or criticism, but "Justice" knows more ■ibout the subject than Mr Gibson is • probably aware, Any sensible person in the colony on reading Mr Dudaun's report from Hansard, will see at once that it is ?reatly exaggerated and full of inconsis-. tunoy. 'he hon, member's information is incorreot, and I .challenge Mr Qibs.iri to contradict a sinale statement . of mine in regard to this report. Last lummer and dnrinsr the tunumn I found dead ferrets cm Mr Bnllen's run from Dog a Flat to the Biver Spey, and never saw a single ferret alive on the whole run, and the part of the run I have referred to was mrroinj with rabbits, and Mr Bullen had two men employed shooting them, mid they used io liend every niffht under heavy loads of rabhit skins, so I think'it is the.Kaikoura reports ihat ••ught to be received with oaution. Mr Bullen haa been farming ferrets there . for the last ten years, and according to Mr Gibson turns out three hundred ferrets annually. Sir, if ferrets were a aucce'j on this run and (weeding in the distriot, they would be there in hundreds of thousands as Mr Dodson stated, and neither man nor heait could live there, nntwiths anilin? the salubrious air of the Kaiknuras, but I am qui-e c Winced that* ferrets ate a Ir.h.'io on this run of Bullen They perish in snow and IrosijHj and get dr-i\vne'l in winter floods. Tho natural enemies of the rabbits don't do such great execution among them as people imagine. About twelve years ago there was a committee sitting m the House of Commons on the rabbit nuisance in England and Scotland. I waß examined on this occasion bv two active members of the committee,' via., Mir Cameron, member for the County of Inverness, and Sir John Heathoote Ambry, member for Inverton, North Devon, and both these gentlemen admitted that rabbits increased at such an extraordinary rate that their natural enemies seemed io have no effect on them, and it was arranged that rabbits were ; to be destroyed at allj/*| and seasons, and this had a g0<,41%0? r to the satisfaction of landlords and tenants, ; and 'if iHiidowners in this country-will l take a simultaneous and organised aotion they will also get rid of 'the peat, poisoning is unquestionably the - best when it is discontinued oniny land it should bt* followed up at once by an experienced r'abbitter to destroy apy rabbits that many have escaped ' the poison, ".'Mr Gibson!mentioned that he witaessed the introdadtion of rabbitß to the Kaikpnra .by Captain Keen, but lam afraid < he will not witness tjieit extermination if they are going toitrust to ferrets. If Captain Keen was/the promoter of this great rabbit reserve I think he has acted wisely in selling Swyncombe lately and wearing out, • ■' . A Mr ffibson claims for "Mr Bullen the c ™s>' n ? the, first 10 introduce ph#pßnfise9 "graiil (o the Australian Colonies, can any of your nume.omf readen inform the pubho whether this is correct or not? ~ ' " I Ml, &0,, ,w " Jmnot, '..V'> U-'-V .

' < l ;tyiruing ; 9«fition } of the day, is m a ' oan really necosaary for i.. Masterton., One thing' w'o know is now necessary, and that is that the public should know when to purchase the' best ' and cheapest Clothing, Booh arid' shoes, i; Ironmiuigery, and' Grocery', and that is lvapp & Hare's, Emporium.—At tr. " In spite of all iliat has been said about the satisfactory ventilation of the Mont' * Cents tuiihel, it is'rqporte'd that the Wo* 1 r wieiiieew have to par mouth- ; nieces' attached c to, ; reservoira. of frcßh sir while traversing it. Forty young men, sons of English gentlemen, have gone to America under ohargeof the Rev >G; Pridbim, Svicar iif West Carptren, to be placed "as pupils ..... with well-known farmers in Minnessoia jl'' ' f sold chain of the value' of 600, guineas \m presented un. June 16 to 'thd ■ corporation of Margate, It was the gift of Mr George Lansell, of Victoria, Australia, a native of the town. Beceut despatches,from Vienna etato that the Government coal miners near Dux, in Bohemia, have commenced a Strike of such extraordinary dimensions that the authories, fearing disturbances would arise, sent two battalions of soldiers', A socialist movement has for some time ■ been observed'in'those parts. Fears were entertained that numerous strikes would take place, . Watson, Fulton, and Clara Moolis, three American's, we're arrWed in Belguim for . participation in a jetfdllil'y robbory com- .. mitted some two or three, months ago at y'.,the establishment oi-'Madam Gbauvet, in the Boulevard des Capucines, and given up under the Extradition, Treaty to the Frenoh Govemitiint. Upon,them was ' found a cash box containing bank noteß and securities to the value of one 'million " francs. .• lhe Princess Lu iisej- Victoria, srid , Maud of Wales,ha*v enrolled themselves as raonihem of thj Humane Society .established in connection" with' Little Folk". The Little Folks Humane Society which was started in the commencement. of the present yeJr, naw numbers ;near'ly • 12,000 officers and members, and 'a large number of children are .daily joining its ranks. ' t { A reunion of officers of the Union and Confederate armies upon the' battle-field of Gettysburg, U S , for the purpose of ' locating the positions of tho vari-us commands, was held in June. To those who want a really first-class shear, call, and inspect thelarae variety at Wellington prices., which can ho seen at • " Rapp&Hare's, Emporium.—AovT.j