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proverb has gold in its mouth,) no time shall be lost, is the 

 best way, I have found, to keep tilings square, " with the work 

 right up to the season's front" from day to day. 



There yet remains a subject which, if not so important in a 

 pecuniary aspect as some we have considered, is still quite as 

 likely to affect the farmer's reputation among those who are 

 not particularly familiar with farming, as any we have dis- 

 cussed. I refer to keeping the premises, and particularly the 

 door-yard, neat and trim. On most farms there is no necessity 

 for having a brush-pile in front of the house, nor all the old 

 carts and sleds assembled as if they were tlie chief attraction 

 of the homestead. Such things we see more often than is to 

 the credit of our fraternity. If we must clutter, let us keep it 

 out of sight as much as possible, for both strangers and thrifty 

 farmers will mark us down in the scale if we are negligent in 

 this regard. 



In closing this article, if I were asked to write down the 

 secret of profitable farming, I should like to call your attention 

 to the sentiment expressed by Steele, in a letter to the Spec- 

 tator, under date of Jan. 23, 1712, which is as follows : — " He 

 who promises himself anything but what may naturally arise 

 from his own property or labor and goes beyond the desire of 

 possessing above two parts in three even of tliat, lays up for 

 himself an increasing heap of afflictions and disappointments." 

 How significant these words to-day, in this panic of those who 

 make haste to be rich by speculation and fraud. 



Since to our labor we look, we must be active, must know 

 that time is precious, and learn to be quick, for there are so 

 many duties to attend to that, with all the machinery of mod- 

 ern farming, we shall fail to realize the benefit of the statement 

 that " much increase is by the strength of the ox," unless we 

 apply that executive ability to all departments of our work, 

 which has ever characterized those whose success has made 

 them famous in any of the industrial pursuits of the world. 



The counsel which Dickens puts into the mouth of one of his 

 wise old men, who is advising a nephew about to start in life, 

 is worthy the careful study of all young men. He says : — 



