MERRIVALE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 23

MERRIVALE.

Ss-PiKMHCit 23.— A year ago £300 was put on the Estimates for gravilliog the Gorge road ner-r the Waiau cavtß. It is nuw sought to spend this on the new road from the Orawia to Olifden. As part of it w»s, however, voted for another road, tbe Wallaca County Council wisely demur to ep ndiigin the man uer proposed by Mr Williams, chif f coniinib'-iijiier, uiitil they have made further itKjniiii"' hiU) Ihc nutter. Mkkuivai.k —Tlii KIU-nlie estate, which is now the piopeity of the City of Dunedin sinkingfund, when offercl for sale in stctiotis in March elicited no bids. Everyone thought the value of real e-fette in this part of tbe colony was affected seriously for sonm years to come. The L-ind Board have, however, valued sections only si'Pura'ed from Eller j li* i by tl>c roid line at £C> 10i. Taking it nil lound, Menivalc is irru.'h inferior, as there is t-nlym- bio -k of about 100 acres of poor quality on ElWrs-lie. It is fenc-'d, »u<l requires no ro«ding, as it h traveled by two roads, and almost suirouudecl by them Oue reason why rthung_ fire was the want of sufficient advertisement notice a« to its sale. It was not pegged off, while the purchase of Men i vale at £2 10s led po^le to expect that the G jvcrumenfc would not put on it more than £'■) at the utmost ; and, again, sheep were unsaleable and farmers had been CAirying on at a 1038. There is au ex<ra'»ulinarv rtel:iy in getting MerriVAle into the market. Unless great haste, is made there will be no chance of any pi ughing being done for this *e»sou. A paity employed ou the property by the Government says the survey should have been finished two months ago. 'ihe gra6S was let until August 14. Merrivnle station has now the grazing of the wkolc of lit so far as I can learn. The rate at which Maerewhenua hftfi been put in the market and settled ia in striking contrast to the snail's pace which baa been the order of tbc day h'-ro. It must be borne in mind that this is no country to keep sheep on without making provision for winter feed. To at»nd a storm chaff must be occasioually U'td ; to stand a series of storms, such has have prevailed lately, would seriously cripple a man if he h»d to buy feed, and buy be must unless he stock* very li.<ht.ly. Some of the paddocks which wre sown in Mr A«libury*B time were sown down in fog, and man) of those — paddocks that were put dowu properly— arc getting very old aud veiy poor fe«d. ihus it will be nt«u that iv some cases at least it will be some tirue before therj is any chance of a fuir return. At 0s por acre, with rates added and improvements to be made, a man must needs fallow Shukeepearc's advio* and "put money in bis purso "