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74 
AMERICAN AGrRICULTURIST. 
AN OX AND WOLF RACE. 
Major Strickland, in his “ Experiences of 
an Early Settler,” founded upon a residence of 
twenty-seven years in Canada, gives the follow¬ 
ing account of a perilous adventure which once 
befel his brother-in-law, James. He says: “He 
was a bold, brave boy, of ten years old at the 
time, and was on his return home with a pair 
of oxen, with which he had been visiting a 
neighbor, residing about six miles from his 
father’s house. His road lay by the river shore, 
which was dreary enough in the fall of the year 
and in the evening hour, but the child was 
fearless, and saw the deepening shades sink into 
night, without experiencing any thing like ap¬ 
prehension. 
He was trudging on steadily, singing cheer¬ 
fully as he walked, when a sound came on the 
night wind, that sent a shiver through the 
young pedestrian’s frame—the war-cry of the 
wolves. At first he hoped he was not the ob¬ 
ject of pursuit, but the hideous uproar came 
nearer and nearer, and then he knew that he 
must instantly adopt some plan for escape. 
His route lay by the river shore, and he could 
swim well, but the night was dark, and he 
might be hurried into the rapids; and to be 
dashed to pieces on the rocks was scarcely less 
dreadful than to be mangled and devoured by 
wolves. In this extremity, the child lifted up 
his brave heart to God, and resolved to use the 
only chance left him of escape. So he mounted 
Buck, the near ox, making use of his goad, 
shouting at the same time to the animal to ex¬ 
cite him to his utmost speed. In most cases, 
the horned steed would have flung off his rider, 
and left him for wolves’ meat without hesitation; 
but Buck set off with the speed of a race-horse, 
as if fully aware of his young rider’s peril. Nor 
was his companion less nimble. Fast, however, 
as the trio fled, still faster came upon them the 
yelling pack behind them, and James could ever 
hear 
“Their long, hard gallop, which would tire 
The hound’s deep hate, the hunter's fire.” 
Happily for him, old Buck heard it too, and 
galloped on and on; but still the wolves came 
nearer and near. James shouted to keep them 
off; the oxen almost flying, their chains rattling 
as they went. This clanking sound, to which 
the hateful pack were unaccustomed, made them 
pause whenever they came close upon the oxen, 
while the latter redoubled their speed, till at 
length those gallant racers left the wolves be¬ 
hind, and finding- themselves within a short dis¬ 
tance of home, never stopped until they had 
brought the brave little fellow safely to his own 
door. 
- - 
Large Crops or Large Farms. — “If our 
farmers, instead of laboring to double their 
acres, would endeavor to double their crops, 
they would find it a vast saving of time and 
toil, and an increase of profits.” This statement 
needs little argument to sustain it. If ten acres 
of wheat can be made to yield four hundred 
bushels instead of two hundred bushels, the 
tillage, seed, rent, and taxes of the additional 
ten acres required to produce the first named 
quantity, will be saved and added to the profits. 
The expense of tillage will of course be in¬ 
creased, as it is by thorough culture, manuring, 
drainage, that such increase of crops is secured. 
—Exchange Paper. 
Remarks.— There has been little change during the past 
week. Small fluctuations--a slight rise and then a fall- 
have been the rule. The high price of freight to Europe has 
prevented the advance being as steadily maintained as it 
otherwise would have been. 
From the Mark Lane Express, Sept. 19th. 
REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE. 
The weather has for some days past been of 
the most unfavorable character: heavy rain has 
fallen in all parts of the kingdom, and a complete 
stop lias been put to harvest operations. What 
may be the result of this untoward state of things 
it is fearful to contemplate. The quantity of corn 
still abroad in the fields is considerable, and there is 
reason to fear that a large portion of the spring- 
sown wheat will never be properly matured. Should 
this unfortunately prove the case, the deficiency 
would be much more serious than we had previously 
estimated, and the prospects for the future are cer¬ 
tainly of the most gloomy nature. Under these 
circumstances, it is not surprising that the depression 
which was caused by the large arrival of foreign 
wheat last week should have proved but transitory, 
more especially as the demand for wheat for ship¬ 
ment to France—which was checked by the steps 
taken by the Government of that country about a 
fortnight ago, in regard to the prices of bread in 
Paris—has again revived. 
We are not in the habit of taking extreme views; 
indeed, we have been frequently accused of an ex¬ 
cess of caution; but in the present instance our 
readers will acknowledge that we have for months 
past pointed out the probability of a high range of 
prices for wheat. This we were induced to do solely 
on account of the knowledge of the smallness of the 
breadth under culture, and the generally inauspicious 
nature of the seasons. What has since occurred could 
not be foreseen. That a large portion of the crop 
should be injured by rain, and remain in the fields in 
the middle of September, has greatly added to our 
difficulties; and it is now almost impossible to fix a 
limit to the upward movement in prices. If Great 
Britain had alone been visited by a bad harvest, the 
effect on prices would probably not have been im¬ 
portant ; but, unfortunately, the seasons have been 
much the same over the greater part of Europe. 
The countries which in ordinary years would have 
been enabled to have afforded us supplies, are them¬ 
selves in want of assistance; and so apprehensive 
have many of the foreign Governments become of 
dearth, that the laws regulating the importation and 
exportion have been altered: restrictions on imports 
have been relaxed or wholly withdrawn, and exports 
have been prohibited. Great Britain, France, Hol¬ 
land, Italy, <fec., all require supplies. In the coun¬ 
tries bordered by the Baltic, stocks of old wheat 
are either exhausted or reduced into a very narrow 
compass, and supplies of the new crop cannot be 
available in quantity before the spring of next year. 
The rye harvest has turned out badly all over the 
North of Europe, and the potato disease is very 
prevalent; the consumption of wheat will therefore 
be greater than usual, and there will be less to spare 
for export Under these circumstances, it is evident 
that what is left of the produce of last year, and 
the small quantity of new which may come forward 
at the different Baltic ports before winter sets in, 
will be quickly absorbed by buyers from the differ¬ 
ent countries requiring supplies, and it is to be fear¬ 
ed that our share of the same will not be very large, 
as France has for some time past outbid the English 
purchasers. The next quarter to which we natu¬ 
rally turn in this emergency is the Black Sea. Here, 
again, difficulties meet us. 
In a circular recently published by a gentleman 
largely engaged’in the Levant trade, and to whom 
we have been frequently indebted for useful statis¬ 
tical information, it is stated that, during the month 
ending 26th August, 12*7 vessels, wheat-laden, clear¬ 
ed out for different ports, of which only nine were 
destined for England; whilst of the shipments made 
in the corresponding period of la9t year—about the 
same in extent—three fourths of the total number 
of ships were for British ports. This proves that 
the quantity of wheat on passage from thence can¬ 
not he large. The obstruction to the navigation 
at the mouth of the Danube will prevent arrivals 
from Galatz; and, looking at the imminent peril of 
war breaking out between Russia and Turkey, it 
would certainly not be safe to calculate on any thing 
like the supplies we usually receive from the East. 
It appears, therefore, that we shall have to depend 
mainly for our supply of breadstuff’s on the United 
States and Canada. Previous experience has proved 
that America cannot, as a general rule, export 
largely, unless prices in Europe are sufficiently high 
to cover the expenses of conveying the grain from a 
great distance in the interior to the seaboard. 
Whether present rates will suffice for this, lUay be 
questioned; but allowing that this be the case, we 
are inclined to think that all that country can spare 
will prove inadequate to stop the upward move¬ 
ment in the British and French markets. The posi¬ 
tion of this country is therefore, in truth, such as to 
warrant the remark we have made in the foregoing 
part of the present article, viz., that it is difficult to 
fix a limit to the advance which may take place in 
the value of wheat. Fine weather for securing the 
remainder of the outstanding crops, and an amicable 
arrangement of the Eastern question, might give a 
somewhat better complexion to affairs; but looking 
at matters as they now stand, there is reason to ap¬ 
prehend that a large portion of the population will, 
during the ensuing winter, have to suffer from scar¬ 
city and consequent high prices of food. 
There has been a lively demand for Indian corn 
afloat, and prices have risen 6 d. to Is. per qr. 
THE CONTINENTAL CORN TRADE. 
By the most recently received advices from the 
Baltic, it appears that quotations had not varied 
materially since the preceding week, the dull English 
accoimts of the 9th and 12th inst. having bad a 
tranquilizing effect. The weather had been change¬ 
able, and harvest operations had been much impeded. 
The yield of the wheat crop is generally described 
as deficient, and rye was, owing to the shortness of 
the produce, bringing very high prices. 
Letters from Danzig, of the 12th inst., speak very 
badly of the harvest in that neighborhood ; a con¬ 
siderable proportion of the wheat crop would not, it 
was feared, be suitable for the manufacturer of flour, 
the samples brought forward had for the most part 
been very inferior, of light weight, and much sprout¬ 
ed ; for new of 64 to 65 lbs. weight, equal to 44s. to 
45s. per qr. had been paid, whilsVforthe finer kinds, 
weighing 59 lbs. per bush., 62s. per qr. had been 
realized for seed; fine old wheat was quoted 61s. 6 d. 
to 62s. 6 d. per qr. free on board. 
From Ivonigsberg we learn, under date of Tues¬ 
day last, that the potato disease had been very de¬ 
structive in that neighborhood, and it was the pre¬ 
vailing opinion that the yield would not exceed one 
fourth of a crop. The grain crops had also given a 
poor return, and the new wheat was coming to hand 
in very bad condition. Only a small portion of the 
wheat of this year’s growth would, it was thought, 
be of suitable quality to allow of its being shipped; 
some parcels had appeared weighing only 45 lbs. 
per bush., so damp and sprouted as to be unfit for 
human food. Fine qualities of old were scarce and 
dear; superior high mixed was quoted 59s. 6 d. to 
60s. 9 d.; fair mixed, 55s. to 56s. 6 d -; and red, 55s. to 
55s. 6 d. per qr., free on board. Freights were high, 
and 6s. per qr. had been paid for east coast of Great 
Britain. 
At Stettin, on Tuesday, the wheat trade was 
quiet, owing to the less favorable accounts from 
hence, a falling off in the French demand, and an 
improvement in the weather. Good qualities of red 
wheat were, however, still held at equal to 53s. per 
qr., free on board. Freight to London was 5s. 9 d. to 
6 s. per qr. for wheat. 
From Rostock we learn that stocks of old wheat 
had been nearly exhausted, and little new having 
come forward, the transactions had necessarily been 
unimportant. In this position of affairs, quotations 
could not be given within any degree of accuracy. 
The advices from the other Lower Baltic ports are 
of a similar character, and it is clear that no supplies 
of any consequence can in the first instance be ex¬ 
pected from thence. 
Hamburg letters of Tuesday inform us that 
though the demand for wheat for shipment to 
France and England had slackened, holders had 
manifested great firmness, and previous prices had 
been firmly maintained. For 60-J lbs. Upland, 62s., 
and for 60j- lbs. Wabren, 63-s. 3d per qr., free on 
board, had been paid. A contract had also been 
closed for 61 lbs. Holstein wheat, to be shipped in 
spring at 56s. 6 d. per qr., free on board. Barley 
had been in lively request at enhanced terms, and 
for 40 lbs. Danish oats, 17s. 9 d. per qr., free on board, 
had been paid. 
The advices from Holland are not of so lively a 
character as last week, and at Rotterdam, on Mon¬ 
day, wheat was rather easier to buy than on that 
day week. The weather, which had previously 
been wet, had improved, which, together with the 
quiet tone of the English advices, had rendered sell¬ 
ers more tractable. 
From France, we learn that the excitement, which 
had received a check the week before, had become 
as great as ever, and prices both of wheat and flour 
rose materially on Wednesday in the Paris market. 
From the Mediterranean we have nothing new to 
communicate. 
From the Black Sea ports the advices are of a more 
subdued tone than of late, and at Odessa, on the 5th 
September, both wheat and rye might have been 
bought on easier terms than on that day week. 
PRODUCE MARKETS. 
Wholesale prices of the more important Vegetables, 
Fruits, &e. 
Washington Market , Oet. 8,1853. 
Vegetables.— -Potatoes, Mercers, $ bbl., $1 50®.$ I 75 ; 
Sweet Potatoes, 53 bbl.. $1 75@$2; Tomatoes, # basket, 
75c. ; Cabbages, 53 100, $2 50®$3 ; Cauliflowers, $ dozen, 
$1@$1 50 ; Green Corn, $ 100, 75c. ; Lima Beans, $ bas- 
kcqSOc.; String Beans, f basket, 44c. ; Cucumbers, $ 100. 
