CAMBRIDGE BRANCH OF THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 799, 31 July 1877, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE BRANCH OF THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

At the annual meeting held at the National Hotel, there were present: Major Glare, Messrs James Runciman, Kirk wood, Alwill, Shaw, J A'tartyn, Hicks, S Graham, REM Campbell; and John Ranciman. Major Clare was called to the chair.

The minutes of last annual meeting were read and confirmed.

The Secretary then brought in the report of the proceedings of this branch of society, which was as follows :

GENTLEMEN, I am nob going to trouble you with a Jong and elaboraDe report; at tha same time i am oi' opinion it is necessary to reeview the actions efforts of the Society at lease onjtj a year, and also "for the members of this 'branch to consider its pecuniary po3itiorj. In the first place I have to apologise to yju for noo carrying, out the resolution passe jat your iasc meetings viz/to have a quarterly meeting of tne nisuibera of fds orauch. At the first quarter! was from home and comd not possibly attend. On my return f made some euquiry of bo e ot your committee if they knew -any buti aess to be brought-before the members if a meetiugwere called, and their reply * was negate; and further I did not kuow how* to give the members notice of a meeting without advertising which cannot be done without money, and you are aware that jour subscriptions have to be transmitted to the parent Society us you give iliom, to secure ybur membership, thereby leaviug this branoh without any funds available for such purpose I also found it was going to be a serious drag upon my time to increase those meetings. As you are aware L have the honour to hold rather an undue weight of such honorary offices, and I concluded to let tlie matter pass. I am now open for your censure or otherwise. All other iustructions and resolutions I have carried ouo as far as lam aware, viz : To write . to the parent Society to ask them to procure, if possible, for this district the Prairie hen, English partridge, English pheasant, blackbirds, and thrushes and any other insectivorous birds they could procure j also hares, (the hares, I have now come to believe wo have -ommitled a \ivy grevious mistake in introducing. I have beard that they are already proving themselves destructive to our young trees.) I find also that the Cambridge members oonsider it would be unwise and detrimental to introduce the silver pheasant and rjd-logged partridge. Also that the thanks of the Cambridge.member* be sent to J 0 Firth, Esq. for the iutersst he has taken in forwardiug the work of acclimatisation, and for the'efFortshe has made in the introduction of fish into this eountry. From the correspondence' I have had' with the Secretary of ths parent Sooieby, I am persuaded they will comply with our wishes and requests as far as practiv cable, and; as is conveyed in their President's letter of the 18th August, that f.hi-y fudy apprecivt i our efforts in assis: - ing i/he accli iiatisaiiju of baa3ts, bi'dd, fisies aad trees,—or most uf which tne rising geuerati.m have a very gooi right In be grateful in we particularly for.our w->rk in . arbm'-ouiUira and pisciQtit ure whi.sh is not a:i.l cannot bo hur.lul co uhy -trnl is beneficial to all. ;

Tua folio >v'm4 is a lisb of what the p.xrent Society hmh done for this distnc wituiti the la9fc 12. mo.itKj: They seat 24 deer, 210 Aunericau iro'it, a quailtity of live aulmoti, 8 bJuckbii-.15.50 a« pintail groußsTdtffji'rfut vari>ties of grasapa, b\\\i neither of whieU are at emtable

—■" ;'■■ 'Ti-i .-■ i r "Iff t -■? foe our district and culture, twi»g - all ° ■ the mere primitive species. - Ii» trees they hive sent alarge and varied assortment in pines, 14 species ; hickory, 4 ; maple one • birch, i | palm, 2; oak.l ;' I understand with af w exceptions,: laßt season's .seed* allgernrinanted, although off afterwards It has been said by some, and perhaps justly enough," that all those seeds might •have- been from' the seedsman __ fewrshillihgs, whicii I am ready to ~ admit. co.uldihe salmon, tlie dceiy the insectivorous birds be got from "the seedsman ? of .could they be obtainable without a united' effort, and although I um no sportsman, Xam of opinion none of us contribute a guinea that is so benefieially spent as pur subscription to the j Acclimatisation Society, and I earnestly hope tha people of this district will look at the matter in the same light, and that double the number will beome members. -I may f .friher jay the Secretary, Mr Cheeseman, ha 3 requested me or any of our members to offov;suggestions in the interests of our districts—and they- will be complied with if it is in the Society's power. ' ... The number of the members of this branch, is nomihaly 26th, but I-am sorry to say two nmrnberd hive signified tlieir intention' not to. continue, viz, .. Messrs £2 B Walker, and Thos Wilkinson. The amount of. subscription received during last year amounts to £24 3a, disburse • ments, £3l; balance in hand, £i 3s.— James Kukciman*. The report was received and ap proved. . V meeting that?: he ,had received through the Secretary in Auckland; front Mr Justice Gillies, about 50 packages of more than 20 varieties of tree seeds. A considerable *- amount of discussion on the result of the last parcel received 'then took place, and the geuerai opinion seemed to be that they were not at all satisfactory; It was : afterwards resolved that the seeds were .to be handed over to Mr John Sharp, nurseryman, for ultimate distii bution of the produce among the members. -.■■.. ' . ? It was- also resolved that, in future, quarterly meetings of the branch of the society be held in the month of January, April, July,, and October,; and be convened by the lion, Secretary, - by advertisement in the "Waikato Times. hares. Mr Hicks proposed a resolution, that the introduction of hares has been injurious by "the distruction of nearly all kinds of forest and fraifc trees, and that the. Aclinatisation Society in Auckland be requested to withdraw protection from this animal.

He said tbafc they had done great damage to his trees. He *had a crop of carrots which they had attacked, "and the field looked afterwards, as if a small flock of sheep had been in. .\lr J Mar tin said he had heard from others that they were a nuisance. Mr Richard" Reynolds had told him that from what he had seen, he believed they bred every month like rabbits. Mr John Ranciman proposed an amendment, that the last seven words of Mr Hicks' motion -be altered to, not to have any close season for : this animal. After much desultory discussion, in which Mr Campbell stated that if protection were withdrawn altogether from hares, it would afford a pretext for poachers to shoot any other kind of gauae, . „ The amendment was put an car rid. FORM OP GfAME LICENSE. A proposal to try and get the game license altered to a universal gun license was then discussed, but no definite resolution was brought forward, the matter beiug left to the next quarters meeting. ,MrF A Whitaker was then eku> ted a member of this branch of the society. , ■ Mr James Ranciman was unanimously re-elected Hon. Secretary, and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded him for his valuable during the past year. This was all the business.