90 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
MAKING BOOTS WATER-TIGHT. 
We have been using the recipe below for two 
or three years, and can recommend it to all who 
wish to make their boots last much longer than 
they generally do. The only inconvenience at¬ 
tending- the use of it is, that the stockings will 
be soiled by the resinous tallow when the boots 
are worn, but this continues for a short time 
only. It will be found good : 
I put a pound of tallow, and a half pound of 
rosin in a pot on the fire; when melted and 
mixed, I warm the boots and apply the hot stuff 
with a paint brush, until neither sole nor upper 
will suck any more. If it is desired that the 
boots should immediately take a polish, dis¬ 
solve an ounce of wax in spirits of turpentine, 
to which add a teaspoonful of lampblack. A day 
after the boots have been treated with tallow and 
rosin, rub them over with the wax, and they will 
shine like a mirror. Tallow or ether grease be¬ 
comes rancid, and rots the stitching as well as 
the leather ; but the rosin gives it an antiseptic 
quality which preserves the whole .—Louisville 
Christian Advocate. 
It is not always desirable to "have boots or 
shoes water-tight. Unless where in constant 
direct contact with water, an open, porous shoe 
is the warmest. From the feet, as from every 
other part of the body, there is a constant per¬ 
spiration. If this is retained around the feet by 
India-rubber, or well oiled leather, they soon 
become damp, and the porous socks being filled 
with moisture, are better conductors of heat, and 
more readily conduct it away from the feet and 
leave them cold. The sole and lowest part of 
the thin leather should be well closed with oil or 
other substance, and the rest be left more open 
for the escape of perspiration. 
-e ♦ «- 
Pre-payment of Postage. —All correspondents 
are requested to pre-pay their postage on letters to 
us, as they thereby secure pre-payment in return. 
The saving of two cents for each letter may seem a 
small matter to such as seldom write, but the gen¬ 
eral omission to pre-pay would make a difference of 
hundreds of dollars per annum in our own postage 
bills. 
We also suggest the propriety, where correspond¬ 
ents write us expressly on their own business, re¬ 
questing a favor which causes us some trouble, and 
with no corresponding benefit, that they not only 
pre-pay their postage, but also enclose a stamp, to 
pre-pay the answer they solicit in return. 
Dating Letters. —Where our correspondents are 
not perfectly well known to us, we wish they would 
in all cases, date their letters very plainly, with their 
post-office address. Nearly every town in the United 
States has half a dozen name-sakes in other States, 
and of some of the most popular, they number by 
fifties. A few years since, there were about thirty 
Washingtons in Ohio alone. Let us, in all cases, 
have the name of their post-office and State, at the 
head of their letter, and they will be sure of a right 
direction for their letters in return. 
Correspondents will confer a favor by writing 
plainly. We spent four hours in deciphering a 
long article from a correspondent, which con¬ 
tained some good ideas. We have just received 
another from the same source, which we have 
necessarily laid by for the leisure of a rainy day. 
We never did like illegible writing, but we cheer¬ 
fully correct ungrammatical expressions, and will 
properly prepare manuscript for the press with plea¬ 
sure. If only plainly written, we care not how 
homely the style. 
Harkets. 
Remarks.— The news from Europe since our last is im¬ 
portant. We would call particular attention to the review 
of the Corn trade in the article we publish to-day from the 
Mark Lane Express. All those who have grain and other 
produce to sell, should read this article with attention. As 
to the rumor of Turkey having declared war against Russia, 
we doubt it, nor shall we give credit to any such reports 
till better authenticated. 
On comparing the Price Current of this week with that of 
last, our readers will be able to sum up tie advance which 
has taken place in the different products. Since that was 
in type there has been a further small advance in grain and 
Flour, and a slight decline in Cotten. The high rates of 
freight, and the stringency in the money market are great 
dampers on speculation ; the demand for produce, however, 
is brisk, and large shipments continue to go forward fbr 
Europe. It is certainly very prosperous times now for 
farmers, good crops generally the past season, and high 
prices for all they have to seil. 
From the Mark Lane Express, Sept. 26tli. 
REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE. 
The activity in the Corn trade continues; in fact, 
circumstances are occurring, daily, of a character 
calculated to increase the excitement. The pro¬ 
tracted misunderstanding between Russia and Tur¬ 
key has become more and more difficult of arrange 
ment, and threatens to terminate in war, in which, 
should it take place, Great Britain would be very 
likely to be involved. It would be out of place 
here to recapitulate what has already been discussed 
in the daily papers, but the advices from the East 
are of such a nature as to lead the most sanguine to 
doubt whether the dispute between the Czar and 
Sultan can now be settled, except by an appeal to 
arms. This news has had considerable effect on the 
minds of holders of wheat in this country, inasmuch 
as it threatens to increase the difficulties already ex¬ 
perienced ; viz., high prices and scarcity of shipping 
in making purchases at foreign ports. That England 
will have to import largely, it would be idle to en¬ 
deavor to conceal. With average crops we have for 
several consecutive years consumed some millions of 
quarters of foreign wheat per annum. What then are 
our requirements likely to be under existing circum¬ 
stances '{ The produce of wheat at the .utmost 
cannot be estimated at more than three-fourths of 
an average, and there is, we are inclined to think, 
no excess in the yield of the other corn crops. Po- 
tatos are seriously affected by disease, and have 
been forced into consumption so rapidly, owing to 
their unfitness for storing, that this article of food 
must very shortly become scarce. So enormous has 
been the consumption, that with an importation of 
3,304,025 qrs. of wheat and 3,837,206 cwts. flour 
during the eight months ending the 5th inst., the 
stocks in granary are by no means excessive. Our 
position is, therefore, sufficiently critical to warrant 
uneasiness as to the future. We are anxious not to 
exaggerate the difficulties this country may be placed 
in; but that difficulties exist it would be folly to 
deny. The weather has been favorable since our 
last for harvesting the crops in the late districts, and 
a considerable quantity of corn has been carted in 
tolerably fair order. There is still a good deal of 
spring-sown wheat uncut, even in the southern parts 
of the kingdom ; and in the more backward districts 
some is so green as to render it doubtful whether it 
will arrive at maturity. The reports as to the yield 
of wheat are very unsatisfactory; in many cases 
were the produce has been tested by thrashing, the 
quantity has turned out little more than half of what 
had been calculated on; the increased price will 
therefore hardly compensate the grower for the 
shortness of the yield. 
The most recent advices from Ireland speak more 
despond ingly of the potato crop than previous ac¬ 
counts, and it is greatly to be feared that the loss of 
that useful root will be greater than was a few weeks 
ago expected. Indian Corn, after having for some 
time been neglected, bad therefore excited renewed 
attention, and its value had undergone a considerable 
rise in most of the large consuming markets. Wheat 
has of late years been but little cultivated in Ireland ; 
the produce in proportion to the breadth sown is 
stated to be tolerably good. The oat crop is not so 
well spoken of, either in regard to quantity or qua¬ 
lity, as earlier in the season. 
The business done on Wednesday was not ex¬ 
tensive, owing in a great measure to the want of 
choice of quality—the greater part on sale consisting 
of ordinary lots left over from previous supplies. 
Notwithstanding these disadvantages, Monday’s 
terms were exceeded by about Is. per qr. Subse¬ 
quently the firmness of holders increased, and a 
further rise of Is. ber qr. was established on Friday. 
The arrivals of wheat from abroad have been only 
moderate since the close of last week, and nearly the 
whole of that previously received having been landed, 
there has been no anxiety to sell from on board ship. 
For granaried parcels very full terms have been 
asked; indeed, many holders have withdrawn their 
samples altogether, in expectation of higher rates 
later in the year. The high pretensions of holders 
have naturally induced a good deal of caution on 
the part of buyers; still, considerable transactions 
have taken place. There was not so much doing on 
Wednesday as on Friday, and on the former occasion 
it was somewhat difficult to exceed previous rates. 
The advices from France reporting renewed ac¬ 
tivity there, and the unfavorable change which took 
place in the weather on Friday, gave a fresh impetus 
to the upward movement, and a fair extent of busi¬ 
ness was done at rates about 2s. per qr. above those 
at which purchases might have been made in the 
beginning of the week. 
In consequence of the very high terms demanded 
for floating cargoes of wheat, comparatively few 
contracts have been closed; but there has been an 
active inquiry, several orders to buy wheat afloat 
having been received during the week from France. 
For Marianopli wheat on passage 60s. 6 d., to 62s. for 
Taganrog Ghirka 59s. to 60s., and for the commoner 
kinds from 50s. up to 55s. per qr., cost and freight, 
has been realized. 
Flour has been held with extreme firmness, and 
the millers have manifested a decided unwillingness 
to make forward sales. For country household 
flour rates have been asked quite as high, in propor¬ 
tion, as those demanded for town make. A part of 
the expected arrival of flour from America has come 
to hand, 20,725 brls. having reached us this week. 
The market was previously very bare of fresh qual¬ 
ities, this supply has consequently had no effect on 
prices; indeed the article was rather dearer, if any 
thing, at the close than in the beginning of the 
week. 
Owing to increasingly unfavorable accounts in re¬ 
gard to potatoes, Indian corn afloat lias been held at 
enhanced terms; for Galatz 88a, and for Ibraila 
36s. per qr., cost and freight, has been paid. 
THE CONTINENTAL CORN TRADE. 
The advices from the Baltic are this week of 
much the same character as before. The harvest in 
that quarter appears to have given an indifferent re¬ 
turn, and the quality of the new wheat is described 
as very inferior. Meanwhile supplies of old had 
almost ceased, and the stocks in warehouse are re¬ 
ported to have been reduced into a very narrow 
compass. Under these circumstances large trans¬ 
actions had been rendered almost impossible, and 
quotations had become in a great measure nominal. 
Konigsberg letters, of Monday’s date, state that 
the little new wheat which had come to hand had 
proved too damp and inferior in condition to be suit¬ 
able for shipment; and stocks of old having been 
nearly exhausted, hardly any thing had been done 
during the preceding week for export. 
Advices from Danzig, dated Tuesday, are to 
nearly the same effect: 59 to 60 lbs. per bushel 
would, we are informod, be an extreme weight for 
the new wheat; the greater part of the samples 
which had appeared having averaged 66 to 57 lbs. 
per bushel; for fair quality of 69 lbs. weight 55s. 
to 66s. per qr. free on board, had been paid. There 
was hardly any thing being shipped; indeed, the 
supplies of new brought forward had been wholly 
unfit for export. 
From Poland and the Bug district the accounts of 
the crops were by no means of a satisfactory cha¬ 
racter. 
At Stettin, on Tuesday, the best qualties of old 
red wheat, weighing 61 £ lbs. per bushel, could not 
be bought below 60s. per qr. free on board ; and for 
62 lbs. white Polish 64s. per qr. had been asked. 
Barley was quoted 28s. to 32s., and 36 lbs. Oats 
20s. per qr. Freight to London and East Coast 6s. 
6c?. to 5s. 9 d. per qr. 
Rostock letters, of the 20th inst., inform us that 
58s. had been paid for damp new, and 60s. per qr. 
for fine old. Barley was quoted 33s per qr.; and 
hardly any peas or oats had been offered. 
From Hamburg we learn that after a temporaiy 
calm the wheat trade had assumed renewed acti¬ 
vity, and prices in advance of those of the preceding 
week were realized on Wednesday. For good 61 
lbs. Holstein wheat 64s. 6 d. per qr free on board, 
and for red Upland on the spot, weighing only 60 
lbs. per bushel, 68s. per qr. had been paid. Spring 
corn had been in lively request, and good Danish 
barley, 53 lbs., could not then be bought below 83s. 
In the Dutch markets the upward movement in 
prices has continued-; and at Rotterdam, on Mon¬ 
day, white wheat was 2s. to 3s., and red 2s. per qr. 
dearer than on that day w r eek. Rye advanced 16 
to 20 /. per last, and other articles were generally 
held at enhanced rates. 
The accounts from France are of a more subdued 
tone inasmuch as buyers had become cautious in 
acting at the enhanced terms; still a further rise of 
2 francs per sack was realized in flour at Paris on 
Wednesday. 
From the Mediterranean we have nothing new to 
communicate; that the wants of the Italian States 
will be great, cannot be questioned ; and a consider¬ 
able portion of what the Black Sea may have to 
spare will be retained within the Straits of Gibral¬ 
tar. 
From Odessa we learn that the threatening as¬ 
pects of political [affairs had greatly interfered with 
