The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-09-01
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Doing Better.

BRADENBAUGH, July 22.-Harvest is over
once more, and while seated in the shade of a
Norway maple for short season Of rest. Qor
l am acorking farmer,) and looking over the
result OF our Iabors, and feeling somew hat sat-
lsfied with the same, my mind became charged
with the following thoughts on the subject OF
doing better.
The man who has the right view of life and
its possibilities will not be satisfied with merely
has made in the past, he will not feel that he
has accomplished ali that is desirable, or that
is within his power to do. The experience of
each year brings him new light and also in
creases his facility in the use of means by
which the desired ends may be secured. The
wish to improve often makes improvement
possible, and what has already been done i'll
this direction tends to make further progress
along the same line comparatively easy. The
principle thus stated applies to all kinds of
human effort. 1t Is as powerful on the farm as
in the domain of intellect or of morals The
farmer who takes broad view of what he can
do and wnat he ought to do, will not feel that
he has yet reached the point at which his efforts
can safely be relaxed. He may have done
well, but if he really desires to do better. and
will use the means that are right at hand, he
can make this year show great Improvement
over any OF Its predecessors. There are great
many methods py which better condition can
be reached and more profitable returns can be
secured. These vary with the conditions of
climate and soil and with what has been done
up to the present time. The one thing which
Will enable the greatest number to make
marked advance IS undoubtedly a more thor
ough study of what should be done, and when
and how the work should be performed. One
OF the great faults OF humanity, not of farmers
in Particular but OF men i'll all occupations, is
th"t they do their closest thinking after instead
OF before, the time in which it could be most
effective. Their hindsight is great deal bet er
than their foresight, and this not wholly on ac-
count of their great difficulties in the one case
than the other, but very Target, because they
Go not give enough thought to- the future.
At the close OF the harvest season it is very
common remark that if the potatoes had been
cultivated TWO or three times more during the
growing season there would have been much
larger yield, and many fruit grower who in
autumn looks for fruit, but looks in vain, is
fully convinced that If he had sprayed his trees
aG the proper time his orchard would have been
productive.
Looking backward it is easy enough to see
these things. What is needed Is Il looking for
ward, perception of what will be quired in
the future. and then timely attention TO the
mntters thar will certainly have much to do
with the success or failure of the work of the
season. A great many farmers do not fail at
the points just noted. They would scorn to
stumble over such simple things as these Yet
even they have not attained perfection in the
of their affairs. They have done
well, put it is possible for them to improve
So the call comes to each and to everyone
whether his work in the past has been good.
bad or Indifferent, to try to do even better this
year than he has ever done.
K. WRIGHT. Long Corner.