dung; and could we
be assured of their safety there in all cases, the potatoes of this
year, selected in the manner above described, might be used as seed
this winter and preserved as such, in the ground, in a safer state
than even in the small pits. Such an experiment may be tried this
winter, in dry weather, without much risk of losing the future crop;
for if, on examination in spring, it should be found that all the sets
have rotted in the drills, there would be plenty of time to replant
the crop, in its proper season, with the sets that had survived till
that time, by the means of preservation used.

I have heard of farmers in this neighbourhood who are planting their
potato crop in this favourable weather; and it does seem very probable
that, as each set is placed at a considerable distance from the other,
and in circumstances to resist frost--namely, amongst plenty of dung
and earth--the entire number may escape putrefaction."

* * * * *

No doubt, if the potato crop shall prove to be very generally
affected, the price of corn will rise yet farther, and may be for a
long time maintained. But this is a very different thing from a
scarcity of that article, which we believe is merely visionary. We
must be fed with corn if we cannot get the potato in its usual plenty;
and it is the certainty, or rather the expectation, of this, which has
raised the price of the former. In the course of last month (October)
we met with an admirable article on this subject, in the columns of
_Bell's Weekly Messenger_, which we do not hesitate to adopt, as clear
in its views, hopeful in its tone, and strictly rational in its
argument.

THE RISING PRICE OF WHEAT AND FLOUR.

"What we predicted in one of our recent papers is daily becoming
realised to an extent which is now exciting general attention, and,
with some classes of the people, has already produced great alarm and
anxiety for the future. We stated at that time, that though the return
of fine weather, about the middle of last month, had saved the
harvest, and given us a crop much more than had been anticipated,
still there were causes in operation which would keep up the prices of
wheat and flour; and that, at least for many weeks to come wheat would
not fall in the British Market.

"It should be borne in mind that the getting in of the harvest is very
closely followed by the wheat seed-time, and that two causes are then
always operative to