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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



themgelyes. " The employments of Agrical- 

 tare are the most inviting conferred on man. 

 All the virtues are enjoyed in its practice. 

 We can look over the broad expanse before 

 us and mark the crops, the herds, the fruits, 

 the forests — :everything that can delight the 

 eye and rejoice the heart; and looking up to 

 the Giver of every good and perfect gift say, 

 in truth, " My Father made them all. " 



Reader, vre give you our hand to do the 

 best we can to add to the interest and suc- 

 cess of your calling for the present year. 

 <•• 



Legislative Aid to Agriculture. 



We have a few thoughts that we desire to 

 give on this subject. Politicians of every 

 name are in the practice of commending the 

 profession of Agriculture, and of representing 

 that farmers are the " muscle, bone and sin- 

 ew of the country." This is mainly done, 

 as we are forced to believe, to obtain the use 

 of this " muscle, bone and sinew," to elevate 

 themselves into power. Wc have too long 

 listened to these compliments without reflect- 

 ing on their objects. It would be well, even 

 now, to examine the matter, and learn 

 whether this great interest of our State — 

 without the success of which, with all the 

 inherent richness of our soils, our fine cli- 

 mate, our easy access to markets — has been 

 duly and properly represented in our gov- 

 ernment, and received that attention from it 

 which is really due to that great and lead- 

 ing interest. 



The farmers, mechanics and working men 

 comprise an immense majority of our popu- 

 lation. And of what material was our last 

 legislature composed ? There were in that 

 body, forty-three lawyers and thirty-two 

 physicians, beside other professional men; 

 and there were ten mechanics and thirty-two 

 farmers in the same bsJy. W hiie, therefore, 

 the support of the government, to a very 

 large extent, is taken from the landed inter- 

 est, that same interest had but little more 

 than one-third of the legislative and execu- 

 tive officers of the State, leaving the entire 



control of the public welfare to professional 

 men and non-producers. Is not there an 

 error in this policy on the part of the farm- 



L 



ing interest ? We are for giving profession- 

 al men their due weight, bat not for aban- 

 doning to their management the entire reins 

 of government. Professional men are not 

 to blame for the position they occupy in this 

 matter. They hare so mw^lded public opin? 

 ion that we are too apt to believe we need 

 their services, when we have practical men 

 of our own prof«Bsion who would represent 

 us, and whose interests are united with ours. 

 The advance of Agriculture in our State 

 augments our wealth and importance in % 

 degree which can scarcely be estimated. In 

 our last number we referred to the causes 

 which struck down the early prosperity of 

 Southern Illinois, and which have long hung 

 like a black pall over that beautiful region 

 of our State. We have shown that any oth- 

 er country subjected to the same policy by 

 government would have suffered as she has 

 — in retarding settlements; in discouraging 

 improvements; in preventing the establish- 

 ment of schools, in keeping away capital, in- 

 telligence and industry. We know that all 

 those causes which have marred the pros- 

 perity of the south, are passing gradually, 

 slowly away; but their influences will be felt 

 in that region for a long period to come. 

 We rejoice that there is, tho^gh long delay- 

 ed, a " better time coming, " in Southern 

 Illinois. 



We have alluded to the composition of the 

 last legislature for the purpose of referring 

 to one item of its history. Among experi- 

 enced and observing farmers, it is believed 

 that annual county exhibitions and fairs of 

 the products of agriculture, have great effect 

 in promoting the prosperity of farming, by 

 the presentation of fine stock, grains, friiits 

 and other productions of the farm, as well 

 as the products of the dairy, and household 

 manufactures. The exhibition of mechani- 

 cal skill, also, benefits that class of citizens, 

 and the sight of new agricultural imple- 

 ments, designed to lessen the labors of the 

 farmer and to increase his profits, presents a 

 new field for investigation, and stimulates 

 him to go in the path of progress, which has 

 done so much to advance the wealth, the 

 happiness and the intelligence of farmers in 



