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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



The New Year. 



Man should never be satisfied nnless he is 

 in a way to benefit himself or others. This 

 doctrine is simply that of progress, — a doc- 

 trine that should ever have an efifective influ- 

 ence on every rational mind. To no class of 

 society can it have a more useful applica- 

 tion than to farmers, in the broadest under- 

 standing of the term. 



Probably more improvements have been 

 made in farming within the last few years 

 than in any other profession. Men have not 

 been satisfied with the old routine of Agricul- 

 tural operations. Land has been worked 

 better — seed has been provided with more 

 care — crops in their growth have received 

 more attention — causes of failure as well as 

 of success have have been ascertained, and 

 the farmer now feels that if he does his duty, 

 in nineteen times out of twenty, he will be 

 well rewarded for his labor. 



And so of stock. He finds that his stock 

 can be improved, with great profit to himself, 

 He seeks better stock of cattle, horses, hogs, 

 sheep and mules, and finds a great benefit 

 in the change — besides, he feels a pride in 

 progress, in a conviction that he is not lag- 

 ging behind when all his agricultural breth- 

 ren are going ahead with improved stock. 



He is also impr6ving his farm by erecting 

 the proper and convenient buildings in good 

 taste — laying off his fields in suitable sizes 

 and forms— planting out his orchards and 

 taking care of them— ^his gardens, his yards 

 — and he sees to it that there are no un- 

 sightly places about his farm to destroy its 

 beautv; and if there should chance to be, be 

 has still plans for improvement which will 

 be carried out in due time. 



The New Year ! And what of it, brother 



Farmer ? The old year has passed. It is a 

 good time to ask yourself what, mistakes 

 have you made in farming the past year ? 

 When you entered upon that year, did you . 

 mature plans for cultivating and improving 

 your farm ? Did you determine what lands 

 to give to certain crops; how they should be 

 cultivated; whether they should be drained, 

 if they needed it; whether you should follow 

 the old system of shallow plowing, half cul- 

 tivatiog, and gel half or no crop, or whether, 

 as poor Richard said, you should £. . 



"Plow well and deep, 

 And have corn to sell aud to keep." 



Have you made up your mind that your 

 success was caused by particular attention 

 in working your grounds, or your failure, by 

 neglect ? Have you cast your eye over your 

 neighbor's grounds and noticed the success 

 or failure of particular modes of cultivation ? 

 These are common questions and common 

 thoughts, but they are those which can be 

 made most useful. There is no magic in 



farming. 



Good farming is brought about 



by industry well directed — we may say di- 

 rected by judgment and^knowledge. 



Every advantage gained by new modes 

 of cultivation, by changes of seed, by changes 

 of stock, by new implements of Agriculture, 

 should be seized as Tieiv positions from which 

 you are to originate and practice other 

 plans and improvements. We believe every 

 intelligent farmer is wiser in his profession 

 than he was one year ago. We hope, at 

 least, that none of our readers have lost a 



YEAB ! 



We have now entered upon a new year — 

 Editor, Readers, all. We trust it may be 

 a year of prosperity. Much depends on 

 ourselves. " God helps those who help 



