Valetta is nineteen miles from Ashburton on the Ashburton-Springburn railway line, which has an entire length of thirty miles. The Valetta estate was originally taken up by Mr. Chalres Hurst. It has an area of 18,000 acres, 10,000 of which is freehold, and the balance is an educational reserve. It extends from the south branch of the Ashburton river to the river Hinds, and is used as a sheep run, very little cropping being done on the estate. Sheep thrive well, and the cultivated land carries three to the acre. The soil along the river bank is good cropping land, but on the plains, it is stony and much lighter. On the Mayfield side of the county there are some good farms, and also some towards Westerfield.

Harrison, Edward Butler, Sheep-farmer, Willow Terrace, Valetta. Mr. Harrison was born in County Wexford, Ireland, where he was educated and brought up to farming. After spending some years on his father's farm he sailed for New Zealand by the s.s. “Coptic,” and arrived at Lyttelton in 1891. He at once proceeded to Dorie, where he worked for his brother at “Hollyforth” for six years. Mr. Harrison then re-visited his native land, and, on his return to New Zealand he managed his brother's farm at Dorie. In 1897 he bought his present holding of 632 acres, on the south bank of the Ashburton river; it belonged fromerly to the late Mr. D. McCormick. The land nearest the river is of good quality, and the oat crops often yield as high as eighty bushels to the acre, and wheat fifty-two bushels to the acre. Sheep do remarkably well on the lighter soil, and Mr. Harrison has been very successful in fattening sheep and lambs for the export meat trade. He was married at St. John's, Christchurch, in 1897, and has two sons.