MOUNT PLEASANT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18571, 25 November 1920, Page 9

MOUNT PLEASANT.

THE PROPOSED SOLDIEII SETTLEMENT. The Canterbury Land Board met yesterday, Sir H. D. M. Haszard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, presiding. Matters in connection with tho Morten settlement, Mount Pheasant, were considered. The land was bought for soldiers' .settlement, but there lias been little demand, tho returned soldiers alleging that the land is unsuitable for invalided men. Only ' on© .-application for a section was received by the iboard, and this was withdrawn yesterday, as tho applicant had not yet received his discharge from the Sanatorium, and was unable to commence tho necessary work. In connection with tho criticisms against tho suitability of tho area for the purposes for which it was secured, . Mr Haszard has received tho following letter from Mr H. Hobday:— "My attention having been drawn to an article in the Saturday's, issue of a, Cliristchurch , newspaper written in disparagement ©f the site selected by the Land Purchase Board for a small farm settlement for'invalided soldiers, I think it only fair to the. board t,o Say that the article seems to mo to have been written on a very slight knowledge of tho land in question, which in one of those nearly flat open sours peculiar to Mount Pleasant. The bulk of this land has been ploughed by the vendors, it is therefore easily cultivated, tho soil being exceptionally suitable for fruit trees, small fruits, vegetables and flowers. In fact the property is surrounded by gardens and farms of this nature, two being worked by returned soldiers. Mr Cook, a returned soldier, who adjoins this,Settlement on the south-east side, that is on tho highest corner, which is 800 feet above sea level, is a successful and satisfied gardener, whose shelter trees planted, eight years neo are a feature on the landscape. Mr Pedler. whose land lies south of and above of this settlement has also been working bis market garden some eight years and grows early market stuff successfully, as do adjoininar neighbours on the Redcliffs end of this Morten Settlement. On the western side there is a florist's, garden, where the shelter trcfli are of serviceable size, a real shelter r/rom the winds and a landscape feat* re, > while other smaller successful gnrd'l s in the vicinity testify to the genorrls nature of tho soil and climate. Th\ Mount Pleasant Tea House situated at an altitude of 1200 feet above sea level has an old-established garden, formerlv the site of Major Hornbrook's homestead. In the early davs tho garden was famous for violets and early spring flowers, as old colonists will remember, and the garden crows its own early vegetables. Poultry raifling is a successful part of the farm profits here. The maximum elevation of any portion of this land is 800 feet, water is supplied on Mount Pleasant to, a height of 630 feet and the main of thi« settlement rises from 350 feet to 050 feet above sea level. Tlie small outcrop of stone on some parts of the land should prove HerviceabJo for foundations and building purposes, it in no way interferes with cultivation. No doubt Now Brighton would bo a more suitable site for poultry farming itself. but J understand that' the health _ of these soldiers is the main consideration, and this land all lies to the, north and enjovs a maximum of fiunsliino, higher country screens the settlement from the south and south-west winds. With regard to the water supply; tho writer of the article evidently had no knowledge of the existing water, supply system on Mount Pleasant, and the Government's plans for distributing the same over this settlement. Mount Pleasant at this time, when flowers are m the many gardens, in all their profusion and plory. is the best evidence of a happy climate and generous soil with an unsurpassable view thrown in free of charge."