LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16477, 23 February 1918, Page 8

LAND FOR SOLDIERS.

RECENT PURCHASES. The Teviot Estate, recently bought by the Government for £75,000, consists of 12,446 acres freehold! and a" pastoral run of 1P,250 acres. Possession is to be taken at the cud of March. The'fixed intention of the Government is to reserve this cstato for returned soldiers. As there is plenty of other land available for the returned men — Gladhrook and other estates —nothing will be done in the way of disposing of Teviot for perhaps a year. By that time, in all likelihood (says th* Dimedin "Star"), our soldiers will be back in thousands. Meanwhile the Government will keep the farming going. It: is satisfactory to learn that the estate is in excellent order. Since the date on v.hiclv the Public Trustee took charge on behalf of the owner, fully 120,000 rabbits hare been killed or captured. JJr R. T. Sadd (Chief Commissioner) found on his recent nsit thin* of tlie freehold 390 acres are in. oats and 493 acres in turnips, while of I the leasehold there are 455 acres in turnips and 435 acres in one-year-old ryegrass, which will be allowed to ripen and then be stripped for seed! On the lower portion of the estate some of flip, land is rather light. The Phantom block, which is towards the eastern, boundary, is land of exceptionally good quality, and well watered. The proposal is to give independent acbess to this block by a new road, and to cut it up into small farms.

Another estate which is to be put aside for returned soldiers is the "Westcolt Settlement. It is in the Tuapcka County, oa the main road between Beaumont and Roxburgh, two and a half miles from tlie post office at Ettrick. The area is 1535 acres. settlement will be cut up into twenty allotments. Sixteen of theso holdings are to be small, varying frim seventeen. to fifty-seven acres. These are suitable for fruit-growing, and presumably will lie used tor that purpose. The other four allotments, intended for mixed farming, vary m size from 211 acres to 460 acres. It is probable that the Westcott Estate will be open for application towards tlie end of next month.