308 



THE ILLIls^OIS FAEMER. 



Oct. 



I could cousuuie much more space with many 



i ntercstin^; details thnn you oonld possibly give 



me, and I must therefore conclude -with a short 



summary ; firit in its production ; secondly, aa to 



Btock on hiind. 



It is now an established fiict that to secure even 

 a minimr.m supply af oil, new wells must from time 

 ID time b?"ttruek." There is a steady decrease in 

 the yield beyond all doubt, as at this time in the 

 piecedia;; year the production reached 3,300 bar- 

 rels per day more than is now obtained. Wells are 

 graduivliy giving out entirely, and others of the 

 small flowing wells have to be pumped to secure 

 any quantity whatever ; and as a general thing the 

 yield of th.e pumping wells is extremely insignifi- 

 cant, being risoertaiuod upon inquiry in numbers of 

 instances not te exceed 10 barrels daily, and rang- 

 ing from t'lat up to 60 barrels. Owhig to the haz- 

 ardou.s method of transportation on Oil Creek and 

 the Alleghany River, and the fciirfully rough roads 

 over tiie mountains to TitusvUIe, it is estimated by 

 well informed persons, that from ton to fifteen per 

 cent, otthe entire product of crude oil is lost be- 

 fore reaching any point avaibible for shipment or 

 refining. 



The stock on hand in tanks both on the Creek 

 and at Pittsburgh is generally put down at less tlian 

 one-half of the quantity in the same places at a 

 corresponding period of last year ; and in conclu- 

 sion (without any wish to draw deductions from' 

 tiie above stated facts,) I would say that ifsome of 

 the "legion'' who are waiting to purchase oil at 

 SO cents for free refined will simply take a trip of 

 discovery to Oil Creek, it is not improbable that a 

 radicid cl'.ange both of opinion and of action would 

 be the immediate result. — Ezchanrjc. 



■ — .©»- — ■ 



The Siberian Crab Apple and How to 

 Use it. 



Th:.^ following well written notice of a too much 

 neglected fruit, we copy from the Iowa Homestead. 

 In our ov.n gronnds this fruit occupies a prominent 

 place. — Ed. 



I propo.se to give your rcadei'S a chapter of my 

 experience in regard to the Siberian Crab, a fruit 

 which combines utility and beauty, iu a greater 

 degree tlnni any other with which I am acquaiatcd, 

 and Vv'liic'i requires only to be better known to l>e 

 appreciated. The tree in all its stages is ahvays 

 attractive, and forms a pronunent and interesting 

 feature iu every collection. With its trim and 

 graceful habit, its foliage of pale, delicate green, 

 its profusion of snow white blossoms, contrasting 

 so beautifully with those of more deeply dyed apple 

 and peach, and finest of all, its slender branches 

 bending gracefully with their weight of fruit, with 

 its bright yellow ground and crhuson cheek, the 

 whole prLSonting the appearance of rubies in a set- 

 ting of emerald and gold — a perfect gem, whether 

 for hiwn or garden, even though the fruit were 

 worthless, which many suppose from its small size. 

 Yet whoever h;i3 once tasted its excellencies, will 

 learn no longer "to despise small things." For jel- 

 ly it has no superior, and for nnirmalade no equal, 

 for flavoi ing insipid apjdess which many are obliged 

 to use iu winter. 



Receipt.. — To one peck of fruit add three quarts 

 ;;, of water, cover tightly, stew gently until half done- 



do not stir thom. Let them remain in the sauce 

 pan, covered closely, until entirely cold, then strain 

 through sleazy factory, and add four pounds of loaf 

 sugar to five pints of juice ; boil until of the right 

 consistence, aiid you have as nice a jelly as can 

 well be conceived. Age improves it. The fruit 

 can then be sifted, and, with the addition of sugar, 

 form a nice marmalade for tarts or flavoring. One 

 word as to the use of sugar for preserves. 



It is the very poorest economy to use any but 

 the best loaf 3ugar, (coffee is best for tomatoes and 

 some others,) for preserves. The process of clari- 

 fying brown sugar reduces it at least two pounds to 

 everv eight, and your preserves are not nice at 

 that."~MRS. M. IS. 



-<•»- 



The Flax Crop. 



The flax crop of the United States this year will 

 bo larger than ever before raised in this country, 

 and inquiries arc made as to the best mode of dis- 

 posing of it. One of our exchanges advises the 

 farmer, after threshing out tiie seed, to stack the 

 stnuv earefally, protect the stacks with board-s, or 

 a good thatch, and await the coming of customers, 

 who will appear between this and the close of the 

 year. It is important that the strav/ be kept dry, 

 otherwise it will rot, and the fibre be destroyed. 

 From present appearances, there is no doubt that 

 there v.dll be demand for every ton of flax raised; 

 and farmers will do well to preserve all their straw 

 in good condition. The preparation of fibre had 

 better be left for those who make that their special 

 business. In view of the increasing importance of 

 flax, consequent upon the suspension of cotton 

 growing, wo advise our inventive readers to exam- 

 ine and see if they caimot produce improvements 

 in flax dressing machinery. The field for tills class 

 of inventions seems to be a good one. — Scientific 



[ir^" Hail's Journal of HcaWi has some sensible 

 remarks about taking cold. It says: "The chief 

 causes of cold arc two — first, cooling off too soon 

 after exercise ; second, getting thoroughly chilled 

 while in a-state of rest without having been over- 

 heated. D3speptics are peculiarly liable to cold, 

 and should avoid draughts and take every precau- 

 tion against being chilled. This is as important 

 as close attention to diet. As with this class of 

 invalids a cold rarely goes to the lungs imme- 

 diately, but is only manifested by a severe head- 

 ache, or an aggravation of all the ordinary unpleas- 

 ant symptoms of that disease, the cause of the 

 consequent illness is not recognized. Standing on 

 a damp floor after the body has become heated by 

 exercise, as women often do when they are wash- 

 ing — is a source of much ill health, and has been 

 fatal to many women. One very commou way of 

 becoming chilled, and taking a severe cold, is by 

 going to a cool place after being heated, or by 

 lying dawn on a bed or hair-cloth sofa, (one of the 

 most rapid absorbents of heat,) with no covering, 

 after a person had become fatigued by some exer- 



