ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4107, 7 May 1892, Page 2

ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY.

Seventh Report.

Tlie soyentli annual report of the Wellington Acclimatization Society has reached us. Iron) which we make the following extracts,

Tho operations of- the Society for the past year have been steadily progressive, upwards of half a million, fish ova having been dealt with at Masterton. Eougiily estimating tho extent ot rit er and stream which is now sufficiently stocked to afford fair trout-fishing, there are about '4O miles in the Hutt County, and upwards of 100 miles in Wairnrapa, Several streams in tho Manftwatu watershed are. beginning to. afford sport, such as Oroua at Feilding, and tho Makakuhi at Eketaliuna, while up country, in Hawke's Hay, there are some well-stocked streams,,. It will thus be seen that part of tho North Island is beginning to equal the South ill attractions to ; tbo angler mid food supply obtainable from its rivers, GAME, Advancing upon the linos commenced last year, your Council lias endeavoured to start an extensive establishment at Mustorton for breeding game birds, His Excellency Lord ■Onslow kindly presented the Society with a covey of partridges bo imported from England, and seventeen of theso birds are now alive and healthy ill the aviary.

A number of pheasants were obtained from Nelson; from settlers in this district, and from England, Tho Society is indebted to Mr Purvis, tho chiul engineer of the s.s, lonic, for bringing out tlic English consignment, viz,, 3 golden pheasants, 5 English pheasants, and 2 partridges, which were taken at onco to tbe aviary. As several of the old pheasants proved very wild, 0 of them were liberated, 5 died during the past year, and '1 were delivered to Mr 11. S. Izard to start an aviary he lias built at Greylown, leaving a stock of 2G common pheasants, 3 golden pheasants, and 18 partridges at the Masterton establishment, further particulars of which will bo found in a table attached.

AVIARY. The growth of young pheasants and numbers of old birds obtained rendered it necessary to enlarge the aviary from time to time, and additions have been built as shown upon the plan attached to this report, giving/one enclosure of 58ftby 22ft,divided into five large aud four small yards with house accommodation ; and another enclosure COft b.y 48, divided into four yards, each Sift by 15ft, with a shelter shed 48ft by 7J-ft, a compartment of which opens into each yard, This accommodation will prevent the birds from beingover* crowded, and should give ample room for some time to come.

WATERWOItKS, I Some difficulty having arisen in connection with watering the streets in Masterton, your Council allowed iho Corporation to draw (heir supply for this purpose from one of tho Society's high level springs. A fluuiing has been constructed to the street, which carries sufficient water to fill a cart iu about three minutes. The amount of water used has not interfered witli the Society's operations, and has been useful to the Borough, with whom the Society's officers have always endeavoured to work smoothly in the public intereit,

A new culvert under the main road, which carries off the streams flowing Iron) tho fish ponds, has been put in at a lower level than tho old one, at the instance of Mr W. H, Reetham, an advantage to the Society, as it will onablo the ponds to be deepened as occasion may require, and to the Corporation, precluding as it does tlio cliatico of an action for damages, for having a culvert placed at too high a level to carry off floodwater, DEER, Tho red door aro still numerous on the soutliMMst coast of Wairarapa, but are pinch shot and hunted for the sake of their heads and flesh, in and out of season,

' The co-operation of tho run holders on whoso lands they live is requested to check ppaching, and assist the Society in liberating somo more deer on the mountain range on the West sidn of Waii'arapa Valley, the small herd on Messrs <j. and H, Holmes' property E|t Matahiwi not liaving incraiql,

FISH cvltube. The past spawning season was nn excellent one, the trout confined, in the ponds yielding more than in any previous year, no less than 820,000 ova having been collected in this .way.' In addition to this, 252,000 brown trout ova were collected Iroiii. Wairai rupa streams, arid 08,000 from the Halt and its tributaries.. ■ I

Early itv the season tho rivers were all too low for successful operations, but about 20th June they were in better form,, and a splendid run of large fish from ijje Etiamahunga and Lake went. up. ijio Waipoua. • The value of this run to the Wairarapa fisheries about Masterton can scarcely be overestimated, as this river,is now alivowilh trout fry, ready to drod down to deeper water as tliey increase m weight,