?SP-' 



1861. 



THE ILLmOIS FARMEK, 



57 



Coal Oil. — When bituminous coal is placed in 

 a retort and heated, it undergoes destructive 

 distilation, that is to say, the, elements of which 

 it is composed are separated from each other, so 

 that the substance is no longer coal, but is trans- 

 formed into a number of other substances, twen- 

 ty of which have been already separated and 

 examined. Of these twenty, three are oils — 

 benzole, iuluol and cumol. 



Benzole possesses peculiar properties which 

 render it valuable for many purposes in the arts. 

 It is a powerful solvent for gums, resins and fats, 

 which property, besides rendering it useful when 

 solutions of these kinds are required, make it a 

 very eificient detergent for cleaning cloth, leath- 

 er, carpets, &c., fiom spots of grease, resin and 

 tar. It causes no injury to the color, and leaves 

 no odor in the fabric. Benzole is the largest 

 and most volatile pf the oils obtained from coal, 

 its boiling point being 186°. 



The coal oils of commerce which are employed 

 for lubricating and lighting purposes are princi- 

 pally mixtures of tolucfl and cumol, ge- erally 

 containing impurities ; the heavier oils contain- 

 ing a larger proportion of cumol, and the lighter 

 a larger pro[ ortion of tuluol. 



Coal oil is far superior to any other for light- 

 ing purposes ; it produces the whitest and most 

 perfect of all artificial lights. It is also unob- 

 jectionable on the score of cleanliness ; if lamp 

 oil is dropped upon a carpet, it makes a dingy 

 spot, but co^il oil, on the contrary, makes the 

 carpet cleaner. Nearly a'l organic substances 

 absorb oxygen and decay ; lard oil, whale oil, 

 butter. &c., become rancid by the absorblion of 

 oxygen ; but as pure coal oil does not absorb 

 oxygen, it never becomes rancid nor decays. As 

 this oil contains no oxygen, it is a perfect pro- 

 tection of any metal immersed in it from rust, 

 and hence it is particularly adapted for oiling 

 cutlery, &c. As the community becomes more 

 familiar with its peculiar properties, the number 

 of its uses is constantly increasing, and conse- 

 quently the demand for it is being steadily en- 

 larged. 



It is probable that many substances will be de- 

 rived from coal besides those at present known, 

 and that tha applications of this most valuable 

 commodity will be largely increased. — Scientific 

 Ameri:an. 



With good kreosone the country people have a 

 light nearly equal to the gas used by our city 

 friends; but we regret to know it is being large- 

 ly adulterated, we hope a stop will be put to this 

 shameful practice. 



Best Time to Cut Timber tor Fencing — 

 Late aitumn is the best time for felling timber 

 for almost any purpose, and it is particularly 

 £0 when the timber is to be worked up into rails, 

 or stakes, or posts, for fencing. At that season 

 of the year the new wood has arrived at its ma- 

 turity, and there is less sap and albumen in 

 timber than there is at any other season of the 

 year, -which albumen, when exposed to the influ- 

 ence sf the weather, hastens th« decay of the 

 timber. If timber be cnt and sp it out in the 



latter part of autumn, the seasoning process is 

 much more gradual and perfect, because the 

 grain of the timber contracts more equally and 

 uiiiforraly, rendering the timber firmer and less 

 pnrous, and less cracked and checked than when 

 it has been cut any other season of the year. 

 Timber cut late in autumn, and sawed before 

 spring, will not be iijured by worms or rot. — 

 Cincinnatus. 



Egyptian Wheat. — We were shown, on Tues- 

 day, a head of Egyptian wheat, raised near Han- 

 over, Jeffersan county, by William A. Duncan. It 

 must be extraordinarily prolific. The head in 

 question was as large as a medium-sized nubbin 

 of corn, and was filled with grains. The grain 

 is smaller than our ordinary Mediterranean wheat, 

 and difl'ereBtly shaped. Mr. Duncan's father had 

 the specimen we speak of, and he intends to go 

 into the cultivation of it. starting from the head 

 he showed us. — Indiana- State Sentinel. 



About once in five years this many headed 

 wheat turns up to humbug soT^e unwary person. 

 W^e had our turn at it in 1840; at that time it 

 was pretty generally distiibuttd over the north 

 part of the State. Occasionally it yields a fair 

 crop, the berry is then plump and showy, but 

 the flour is coar: e, and of a yellow hue. It cer- 

 tainly has no commercial value for the West, and 

 should only be tolerated for the singularity of its 

 many miniature heads. Some humbugs die a 

 natural death, while others, if dead, return to 

 life at regular intervals, among this last class is 

 the Egytian wheat. 



Lectures on Agriculture. — We have receiv- 

 ed from Prof. Porter the follow'ing circular : 



In reply to many enquiries from persons de- 

 siring to attend the regular Scientific Course on 

 Agriculture in place of the popular lectures 

 which have been postponed, I would state that 

 these lectures are open to the public. They 

 commence Feb. 1st, and are given daily for five 

 weeks by Prof. Johnson. A. J. Porter. 



-•••- 



Garden Vegetables. 



There is nothing so acceptable as early vege- 

 tables, and one of the most useful aids to this is 

 a hot..bed. Every amateur should have one, as 

 every well regula'ed horticultural establishment 

 regards it as one of its most essential features. 

 Not only is heat generated by manure more fa- 

 vorable to vegetation than that from any other 

 kind of heat usually appled, but the manure it- 

 self, after being eo employed, seems better than 

 that preserved any other way. We would sooner 

 have one load of hot-bed manure for horticultu- 

 ral purposes, especially for pot plants generally, 

 than two of the same kind of manure that has 

 not been so employed. 



The sashes for hot-beds are usually six feet 

 long, and about three feet wide; costing $1.50 to 

 $2.00 when glazed and finished. Most of the 

 cost of Bash is in the work, the material ousting 



