PALMERSTON AND SHAG VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1586, 15 April 1882, Page 12

PALMERSTON AND SHAG VALLEY.

(FROM OUB OWN OOBMBTONDHKT.)) April 10th. My communication muat necessarily be brief this week owing to tho scarcity of news ; but aa I have plenty ef spare time at ray comtnaad, to-day being a holiday, I must try to scrape up somo ttema of in* terest to your reader*. The subject of most importance at present is the state of the weather, the long ♦ looked • for rain having como at last. Since Friday night, with the exception of Sunday foranoon, it has poured down almost incessantly ; and more rain, I believe, has fallen than ever fell at one time within the last 18 months. Pools of water and miniature lakes are everywhere to be seen ; and the lea ground, though perhaps not thoroughly moistened, must certainly be a great deal softer and more tuitable for ploughing. From the direction in whioh the rain is coming, I fancy Dunedin has had its share, and if this be the caße the Review, if carried out, will Bimply be a "sham" indeed, and the troops will find that some of the hardshlpa of war may be endured while going through even a sham-fight. Speaking of tho roview reminds me that, for some unaccountable reason, Palmeraton has never yet been able to produce a body of Volunteers. Once, indeed, Beveral years ago, a body waß organised and drill commenced; but in a short time it fell to pieces, and since then no movement has been made in the matter. Why should a larxe thriving locality liko this be behind in thlsroapect when small towns like Otepopo and Hampden, for instance, are able to support riflo I companies ? lam quite certain that if some porson could be found able and willing to take charge of and I attend to all noceseary affair*, a corps of between two ond three score could easily be raised. Good Friday, though held as a holiday here, was simply a holiday in name, there being no local festivities or sports at which one could enjoy himself. A good many of our local sportsmen passed away the i uay in looking for ducks, w hich are almost as hard to come across here as the proverbial needle in the haystack. ,_ . ... . . . At Wright, Stephenson, and Co.'s monthly sale last Thursday a large amount of stock was offered for sale, but the biddiug was dull, and very few lota were disposed of. Mr D. Boas, who is at present engaged in obtaining signatures for the "county separation" petition, put in an appearance at the saleyards, and succeeded in gaining a large number of signatures, without being put to the troublo of journeying round the district for them.