The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-17
Hill Country of Judea Items.
reported for the v1ne1N1As.l


On Monday night, snow fell to the depth
of four inches. 1t was preceded by rain
and was, as is usually the case when thus
preceded, extremely wet and clammy.-
The trees and shrubs chung fast to it like
an infatuated and forlorn lover clings to
that which freezes his very heart. But
the cold was not great, so the embryo OF
delicious and nutritious fruit was not In
jured in the bud. The feecy blanketing
that covers the earth affords the wheat
ample protection from the extremes OF the
weather, and will supply the soil with large
quantities of ammonia and nitric acid.
Owing to the great electric effect produced
in the freezing process, snow always con-
tains much larger proportion OF these
valuable elements of fertility than rain.
Hence the soil will be richly stored with
the most expensive provisions with which
to feed the coming crops Thus we see
the snow is Of incalculable worth to the
farmer. Besides these advantages, snow,
much more so than rain, serves to modify
the temperature 1t is a law Of physics
that when solid is converted into fluid
or a fluid into vapor, their capacity for
heat is increased. If the solids salt and
ice are mixed together, they will soon
liquefy. The heat distracted from sur
rounding bodies in this process causes them
to freeze. Thus even in midsummer we
can readily manufacture that greatest of
table luxuries, ice-cream. Every one that
has had occasion to melt snow for culinary
purposes knows something about the
amount Of heat it requires. Besides, the
fluid indicates the same degree Of temper
allure just as the last particle Of snow
melts as did the snow at the beginning Of
the melting process. What then has be-
come of all the heat applied2 1t has been
absorbed by the water and rendered latent.
Now continue the heat, and the water
will gradually raise in temper allure till it
reaches 212o Fahrenheit, its maximum
But the heat continues, and after awhile
all the water will have been evaporated,
and the whole amount of heat required to
evapoIate the water will be latent in the
vapor. But if the precaution has been
taken to collect all the vapor, and to 'con-
dense and freeze it, the heat absorbed
in the melting and boiling process will be
rectiied. Now, as the water of the sea is
evaporated it is waited inland by the
winds and on meeting colder currents is
condensed, and the heat of the sun alb
sorbed in the evaporating process is set
free, and when frozen into snow. the in
crease of heat is about one-eighth more.
Thus nature modifies the temperature and
strives to equalizo climates.
Our world must still be navigating
the great sea of star-dust in space as the
same remarkable phenomena we men
toned a few weeks ago, is almost as APP
parent as ever. The crimson sky just be-
fore sunrise and after sunset, reflects its
beauty to the snow-clad hills of Judea and
furnishes us rustics with such beauty and
as could hardly be portrayed
by the ready pen Of a master poet. And
our nights are the grandest we have ever
witnessed. The cerulean canopy that over
reaches Judea is waved with light and
deep blue, powdered with stars and tinged |
with orange around the full pale-faced
moon, and our great hills draped with the
pure white, almost makes the scene grand |
" poetic AGRICOLA