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THE  ILLINOIS  FARMER.
SIMEON  FRANCIS,  Editoh.
BAIIHACHE  «Se  BAKEP,    PrsLisHBRS.
Vol.  «.
jf^jTu^mr,  1837.                   ./n>.  i.
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.
