FERRETS V HAWKINS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 25 June 1884, Page 2

FERRETS V HAWKINS.

To THB JIDITOR,

Sir,—lii yosiovday's Daily, appears a Ycry long, and no doubt able, letter from Mr It. S. jbi'awkuiE on the ferret question, but it is only with the last paiag.v.ph. in that letter I wish to dww partioulur attention, wherein ho recommends all small settlers and fr.raei'B not to dostiby any ferrets they may find in their poultiy houses, but tako cire of them, and get their boys to breed more. I suppose that is what Mr H, calls return injiioodforovil. Only fancy MrVenncll, after finding eleven ol his Lest'fowls'laying dead on the,floor of his poultry hou,s,e, the [fliTft lying poilod up aaleep j:i the nest box, instead of kil'iug him right off picking him up carefully and thus upostropljisin?; " Poor little animal, I will not hint or kill, you; I wi'l shut jo'u up and get a mate,- so that ! cm perpetuate your species, and let them loose to destroy my neighbor' poultry." Whether Mr Ycnnoll or'a/iy other man would thus apo-jttqpliise, under the dircumstances, dc;>oiici)i_ sajet'n not; but I no doubt buiin a difforent way,'' ' . Now, sir, what I would recommend, a'l '.small farmers and poultiy breeders lo'do'is this; Offer thel: boys n reward;for,every fciret aid such like vermin brought' home dead (call on. delivery), and I rather think,, or els3l don't know boys, ihey would prefer that game to -waiting a twelvemonth for the chance of breeding what they miglit' not be able to sell, aid prefer a bird in band to two in the bush.' I for one will give a very good account of all I catch in or about my place, ■•■•'' .L enclose'a pragrnph copied from the live stock journal of April 25fch, relative to tbo slipment per Doric, and I only hope, for the benefit of poultry breeders, the same calamity befelthepro.eut shipment as the last:—

"Exportation of Stoats and Weasels.— About 300 fit :ats and weasels, whioh have .been,caujit with con.idcralle in dilFeront jiaits'of named Allbies, a veYmiMaiahervol BriJg, wore convoyed by him on. Tuesday to London, on route for New Zealand, having been pmchawd... by the Government of thi country for the purpose" of destroying the rabbits which overrun the colony. As the pa.sage out will occupy about 45 days, 1,500 live pigeons havo been shipped for tho consumption of the animals; A consignment of about ihpEaffle number was taken out by'tlio camp man, biit during a galo all but 10 animalg out of this estrcordinary shipment were waslicd ..overboard; . These 10 were ljbeVi§d ■qs popn'as they landed, end'within a. few hours one; of them destroyed seven tlucks, sovcral miles distant fromwhero it was cet%ee, A price of 5s per head was offered.to Allbones for the stoats a'ad weasels to be taken out." '"

.; Part oj this prngvaph has appcartd in print, but the part relating to them killing the t'ovfeii di'.ela two inilbs: inland within a few 'lonrs of 'their• teinir li berated was, I have no dovblypm : TH)se!y : expunged. '■ : -! : - r'":P : ■..■.■'.■'•ramj'eta)-. ■...•.•••: - ; -■'-.. :' ; . i'J''■ '■•;.'. iJ. D. OAKLEy; , Foatheratdr^'Jdae,24t":', I 8&4,. . ~.'• .