THE SPECIAL TRIP TO WALLACEVILLE.

Evening Post, Volume XVI, Issue 109, 22 April 1878, Page 2

THE SPECIAL TRIP TO WALLACEVILLE.

Mr. J. H. Wallace on Saturday most successfully carried out his promise to the public by conveying by special train about 150 people, including many leading citizens, to the Upper Hutt platform, at No. 3 line, where the train stopped. The journey up was a very pleasant one, and those taking part in it enjoyed themselves very much. On reaching the station the whole party disembarked and wended their way by a good metalled road up the Mungaroa hill. On reaching the top of the hill a pretty view of the Mungaroa, Valley was obtained, including the site of Wallaceville, where the small farm sections to be sold on Thursday next are situated. Descending towards the valley the party made a halt and partook of some refreshments. There is a tramway laid across the swamp, across which Mr. J. H. Wallace and Mr. D. P. Davies, C.E., proceeded to the main drain, which showed a successful piece of engineering. A large number of the party proceeded up the swamp by the main drain, and had a good look at the soil of which the swamp is composed. The sections are laid out in small blocks of 51 acres each, having a frontage to the main road aud drain of 10 chains, by a depth of about 50 chains, and as the swamp forms a kind of oval each section has a proportion of swamp and of gradually rising ground, cover, d with good timber. From this rising ground comes a large portion of the moisture that fills the swamp, especially in heavy rains ; the middle drain therefore, from the base ot these timbered spurs, into the main drain will at all times effectually drain each section, and will at the same time in a dry season, by a little management, irrigate the land, and this can be done at a comparatively small expense. Having thoroughly inspected the land, some dozen or so of the party got once more to the top of the hill, determined to make for the Upper Hutt Township and obtain dinner. They managed to do this by following a track through the bush. The rest of the party returned to the station by the usual road, and in due course all got safely to town by train. The excursionists all expressed themselves as being delighted with the trip. The day was magnificent, the scenery passed through pretty and .picturesque, while the special locality visited was new to. most of the excursionists. The sale of the sections is advertised to take place on Thursday, at Mr. Wallace's auction mart, and will no doubt be largely attended.

Useful to know— That which is bigger than the biggest nutmeg in the world is a nutmeg greater. This is one of those discoveries of science for which the buddiug intelligence of the world has yearned through centuries of unsatisfied desire.