THE ILLINOIS FA.I11SIEII. 



59 



Raule's Janet, called also Neverfail, 

 Rockrimon, Janet, Genitan and Jenetan 

 is one of the most popular winter fruits 

 in the latitude south of Bloomington. — 

 The tree is of rather slow growth, upright 

 with speckled shoots. The tree starts 

 several days later than others, except the 



Northern Spy, which it resembles in form 

 and color of treej consequently it blooms 

 after the others, and many times escapes 

 late spring frosts. The tree is hardy and 

 very productive. For description,see any 

 work on fruits. ? 



Wine Sap, is another favorite apple 

 for winter, good for early cooking and 



for cider — is hardy and productive. No 

 farmer can have too many trees of either 

 of the above, for they will pay in spite of 

 even bad treatment. The Wine Sap if 

 a spreading, rather straggling grower, 

 with dark, almost black shoots. It i^ in 

 eating before the Janet, which follows it 

 in season. 



For the Ulinois Farmer. 



Spring in Egypt. 



In this beautiful land of Egypt, al- 

 ready does the sweet spring time give 

 us presage of the near return of that 

 milder season, when the drawing-room 

 and parlor may be found in all beauti- 

 ful places in the temple of nature. — 

 Slowly but unerringly the outer world is 

 advancing. We already inhale the 

 warming breath of spring; delight the 

 eyes with new developing beauties, catch 

 the cheering sound of nature's music. 

 Nature, after all, is a great teacher. In 

 her unselfish pages we find lessons and 

 sympathies for all. It is sad indeed, 

 here, in a land Adhere a kind Father has 

 been so lavish with his gifts, to see those 

 that have no perception of its charms, 

 and can walk through its varied beauties 

 — her wood-crowned hills, and lovely 

 vales, and not behold the wisdom of the 

 All Father in the dazzling magnificence 

 and grandeur of the scenery. 



While all are revelling in the delights 

 of spring a large portion of the time of 

 the tiller of the soil is devoted to toil- 

 some labor, animated by hope rather 

 than actual possession, while the strong 

 hand labors, hope softly whispers of bud, 

 of blossom, and an abundant harvest. 

 The strawberry graces its turban of 

 green with a profusion of blossoms. — 

 The peach and apple no longer look 

 barren, but are already budding into 

 beauty. The tomato, sweet potatoe and 

 the variety of garden vegetables give 

 promise of an abundant harvest. "Aye, 

 and it shall be spoken, the gardens of 

 Egypt shall fill the tables of the North 



with early vegetables." "Her fruits 

 shall make glad the hearts of both young 

 and old.'' 



It is a source of delight to see the 

 folded buds of roses, and catch a glimpse 

 of the future flower in the slender branch 

 of the carnation, or the rising stems of 

 lillies. Every day brings forth new 

 candidates for approving smiles; along 

 each hill-side a mingled wilderness of 

 trees and flowers, fair Spring unbosoms 

 every grace. Maria. 



South Pass, Union Co., 111., March, 20, 1S60. 



We are promised occasional articles 

 from the graceful pen of " Maria, '' 

 who has made her home in this Italia of 

 the West. Trained in the varied and 

 arduous duties of the editor's sanctum 

 of a northern paper, no wonder that now 

 she has taken her place by the side of 

 one whose home is amid the Peach hills 

 of Pomonal Egypt, that she can fully 

 appreciate the beauties of this pictur" 

 esque region, whose hill-sides are first 

 kissed by the laughing zephyrs from the 

 South, that clothe their slopes with ver- 

 nal flora, and sheet the peach and apple 

 in gorgeous livery, while her olden home 

 lies locked in frost. But such is the 

 genial climate of Egypt, which sends 

 the first greeting of spring to the north, 

 and her pulsations will soon be felt where 

 Old Michigan pours his winter tide, 

 where stand the cities of the North — 

 and Superior will also feel the warm 

 breath that so late kissed the peach blos- 



soms, and upon which the song-birds 

 wing their way to his rock-bound shores. 



— Ed. 



Important Discovery. 



It is announced that Prof. Greenough, of 

 New Orleans, has discorexcd a method by which 

 camphene or common burning fluid may be ren- 

 dered inexplosive, and therefore comparatively 

 harmless. His method is by the impregnation 

 of the fluid with carbonic acid gas, which acts 

 as a neutralizing agent It is objected that af- 

 ter a certain length of time, the carbonic acid 

 gas will evaporate, thus leaving the fluid as dan- 

 gerous as before. In reply to this objection, It 

 need only be answered that the specific gravity 

 of this gas as compared with atmospheric air is 

 1.52, so that its evaporation can only take place 

 by mechanical means ; that is by combination 

 with the lighter gas evolved by the fluid, a very 

 slow process indeed. If the discovery be all 

 that is claimed for it, it will be one of immense 

 importance to the fluid-burning public. It may 

 well be doubted whether murder, in any form, 

 can claim as many victims as the use of cam- 

 phene. Scarcely a paper comes to us, that does 

 not contain accounts of one or more horrible ac- 

 cidents, involving life or disfigurement for life, 

 all caused by this agent of destruction. It is to 

 be hoped that the discovery of Prof Greenough 

 will inaugurate a new era in the statistics of 

 life and death in our country. The New Or- 

 leans Courier says of Prof Greenough's exper- 

 iments : "We have seen camphene poured from 

 a large jar into a burning lamp, and vice versa, 

 the dangerous flaid passing through the bright 

 flame ; and boiled in a common tin feeder, that 

 emitted flames by its open top and its narrow 

 beaic, and the Professor handling it as unconcern- 

 edly as though it had been cold water, and we 

 have seen the same foeder explode by thi! com- 

 bustion of a thimbleful of pure camphene sha- 

 ken in it." , 



