The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-24 00:00:00

CANADIAN ATHLETIC SPORTS.

The Old World has been taking a variety of lessons
lately from the New in all sorts of athletic exercises,
as well as in art and science. We have been taught
how to scull by the Australian professionals, and
how to play cricket by the amateurs of the same
country, while an American sportsman has been
giving us a wrinkle or two in the matter of pigeon
shooting, and another Yankee from still further
west seems likely to introduce to our admiration or
imitation the innocent pastime of shooting ballets at
glass balls. As for the Canadians, they seem at
least to be ahead of us in one department of
athletics. They have diversified the programme of
their Isthmian games by some trials which would have
electrified Pindar, and might considerably astonish
the attendants at Lillie Bridge or the Star grounds.
We read in an Ottawa Journal that at a recent
"Firemen's Picnic" in Ontario the following races
took place :—A girls' race of 100 yards for damsels
of 15 years and under, which had been preceded
doubtless on a former day by a similar race for
' maidens, if not for matrons also, aged 16 years and
upwards. The firewomen in fact seem to have been
quite as fond of prizes as the firemen, for there was a
girls' consolation race also, in connection with which
three prizes seem to have been given. Another item on
the card was a 'tint men's race," in which the handi-
cap was no doubt arranged in proportion to the cir-
cumference of the competitors' waists. - Perhaps,
however, the most peculiar incident in the day's
proceedings occurred in the "Quarter mile race,
open." In this it seemed that one Duffy, a re-
doubtable winner of prizes, had come first in past
the post, but was objected to by a Mr. Lascelles
on the ground of having "cut short one of the
turns." The judges, consulted on this knotty point,
instead of determining whether Duffy had or had not
"cut short," adopted the truly sporting device of
ordering the race to be run again—a proceeding to
which Duffy not unnaturally declined to be a party.
It might have been supposed under such circumstances
that Lascelles would have been returned the winner.
This was not, however, by any means the case, as a
third and fourth party cut in and carried off the prize
over which the other two had squabbled. These are
odd ways of managing a race meeting; and would
hardly be much applauded in England. Yet we read
that the judges, in the opinion of the Canadians
present, "gave every satisfaction." It is clear that a
Canadian audience at an athletic meeting cannot be
very difficult to please."—Glebe.

THE WHEAT CROP, 18'78.

Tits Times of Wednesday publishes the following letter :

Sir,—The agricultural returns for Great Britain
issued this evening show a small increase over last
year in wheat and barley, and a decrease in oats.
The extent under wheat has increased by 50,000 acres.
Estimating Ireland at a little over last year, the total
area of wheat in the United Kingdom will be nearly
3,400,000 acres.
From the general appearance of the crop on the
ground and trials by thrashing already made in various
parts of the country, there can be no doubt that the
wheat crop now being harvested is a full average, and
the beat we have had for some years. The increased
acreage and the additional produce will afford us
11,500,000 qrs. for consumption. We shall require
13,000,000 qrs. more, for which we must look to our
foreign commerce and to our Indian and Colonial
supplies.
During the past harvest year, now drawing to a close
we shall have imported upwards of 15,000,000 qrs. of
wheat and flour. This is the largest import we have
ever received; it has kept the price reasonably
moderate, and the surplus has come mainly from the
United States. The latest advices from that quarter
show that, while the great crop of 1877 is not yet ex-
hausted, the prospect of the present crop is much less
satisfactory. In France the wheat crop is believed to
be below an average, so that we are likely to meet our
nearest neighbours in the market as buyers rather
than sellers. There is thus much probability of the
present price being maintained, and, perhaps, slightly
increased, but there will be no scarcity.
Up to this date there is less disease in the potato
crop than there has been for several years at the same
time. The extent of this important food crop is much
the same as last year.
Young cattle and lambs have both increased, the
first by 40,500 and the last by 263,000. There is thus
already a satisfactory begnning made in the desirable
object of extending our home breeds of live btock, and
the abundant supply of provender, hay, and green
crops this season all favour that object which recent
legislation is intended to promote.—Yours, &c.,
JAMES CAIRD.
August 20.