  We estimate J-point galaxy averaged correlation functions $\wbar_J(\theta)$
for $J=2,...,9$, in a sample of the APM Galaxy Survey with more than $1.3
\times 10^6$ galaxies and a depth $ \calD \sim 400 \Mpc$. The hierarchical
amplitudes $s_J=\wbar_J/\wbar_2^{J-1}$ are roughly constant, up to $J=9$,
between $0.5 \Mpc$ and $2 \Mpc$ and decrease slowly for larger scales. At
scales larger than $7 \Mpc$ we find strong similarities between the statistical
properties of the galaxy fluctuations and the theoretical properties of matter
fluctuations evolving under the influence of gravity in an expanding universe
on assumption that the initial fluctuations are small and Gaussian. This is
most easily explained if at large scales there is no significant biasing
between matter and galaxy fluctuations. The comparison of the skewness in the
CfA and SSRS catalogues with comparable sub-samples of the APM indicates that
the volume of a ``fair sample'' has to be much larger that the one in the
combined CfA/SSRS catalogues.
