I 



'W^ 



ARMEE. 



VOL. VIII. 





SPRIXGFIELD, JAN., 1863. • 



XO. 1. 



t January. 



We standi upon tiie dividing linebetvreen 

 tlie old am} tlie new year. Tlie olcl year 

 that has foded out^ with age and ceaseless 



. cares, and the young and vigorous new year, 

 with rosy cheeks, made so ty the winter's 

 frost, that has gi>^en a new impulse, sending 

 the stagnant blood that lazy summer had 

 gathered in our veins, with a quicker flow.' 

 From this point we can look back uponihe 

 dead ^ast, and forward to the bright and 

 Jiving future. It is here that we pause to 

 take a retrospect of the past, and to lay 



_ plans for the future. If we have erred iii 

 our plans heretofore we must now exclude 

 the errors from the new calculations and esti* 

 mates for the coming year. 



First let us see if our stock is all well 

 provided for — have faoj warm stables, good 

 sheds, and plenty of water easily accessible? 

 Has the manure of the past season been 

 hauled out, and are you hauling out that 

 daily made in t^ stables ? Our soil is rich, 

 it is true, yet the manure will add to its 

 value, for most crops, and more especially 

 for the grasses and the bearing orchards. 



During the past autumn less plowing 

 than usual has been done, in consequence 

 of the want of hands, and the'time spent in 

 the making of sorghum sirup, which has oc- 

 cupied^ no small amount of time of both 



■ teams and Jiands. The weather, on the 

 whole, has been ifavoraible for autumn •*work, 

 though closing (fn the plow in the' north part 

 of the State, and as far soji^ as Springfield' 

 as early as the' 5 th of3)eceniberj but witli 

 fine pleasent weather for 'the gathering of 

 the corn crop. The wood pile must be 



looked after — do not burn green wood if you 

 can avoid it ; it is decidedly bad economy. 

 Save all your cobs, for they make escellent 

 kindling, as well as to.mix with green wood, 

 if you are compelled to jise it ; or with coalb 

 even in the grfeen house, "we find it valuable 

 to get up heat on short ' nofice of .» c.ord-^^ 

 night or unusually cold morning, when the 

 fire has run low; ibr tbese_ purposes it is well 

 to keep it on hand.\ .'"T ' " ' - 



A great many things dafi ' fed ^ 'done this _. 

 month, *tliat, in. themselves, xeq^ttire no^lj^tf--;, 

 amount £)f] tame, ox labor, and yet they%ffi . 

 tell laygelyia the ecouonfies of the year. 

 Look over vour seeds of all kinds, and see if 

 you have an^undance of -each. Examin^^ 

 your- brchara and see what you need tc 

 make it *ore perfect, _ and make arrange- 

 ments to have the trees and plants at the 

 opening of spring ; but do not prune wheE 

 frozen. Do not by any means neglect yoHi 

 tools and implements,, but fise ttiat whal 

 you have are put in order aad'well housed. 

 Should you need- new ones, -have them or- 

 dereC'in time, ^u ni^: call these small 

 things, that yOu can attend to when the sea- 

 'son comes to use them, but if you neglect 

 them you- will much regret it. 



We would not have you worli;,pi^rd this 

 month, but look about to see ^M|is in an^ 

 what out of order; tQ-play\tlM»H»seer over 

 j^rself— to. examine if you hdfe been true 

 tilyour own trugt. It is not tlf^ man who 

 works the hardest "that siKceoJite best in 

 farming, but the one who lays his .plans the" 

 best, and carries, them out.the most faith' 

 fully. 5- * • ' > v^ 



Our great fault is the overtasking of our* 





