The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-08
A Young Lady Farmer.

The Prairie Farmer says We lately
had the pleasure Of " interviewing" Miss
A., of Illinois, who for some years past has
been engaged in farming farm of 100
acres and, deeming her example worthy Of
imitation in these days of unhealthful and
lackadaisical womanhood, we have made a
few notes for the benefit of our readers.
Miss A. was teacher, but at the time of
her commencing farming was a student in
leading young ladies' seminary of the
country. Her father died, leaving widow,
and, we believe, two daughters, of whom
Miss A. was the eldest, and the boy lad
of ten or dozen years of age. The farm
was, we believe, encumbered with a
considerable amount of debt. She found
the health of her mother who was endeav-
oring to manage the farm with hired help,
failing, and concluding, as she expressed
it, that she would rather keep her mother
than get an education, she left the seminary
in 1868 and commenced farming.
The farm at the time consisted of eighty
acres of the home farm, about half of which
was in cultivation, and most of which was
bottom land, rich, but was more or less
subject to overflow, and at a little distance
were forty acres more, all in cultivation.
The home farm had pretty good house,
but the barn had recently been burned, and
the fences were not good. Twelve acres
had been planted to apples of good variety.
She had one horse, and got the loan of an
other from a friend, who also aids and is
aided in turn by lending implements, sc.
She has now good team of her own rails
ing, besides horse that does duty in the
market-wagon.
So she went to work with the aid of her
then little brother and to some extent of
her mother and sister, who also took charge
ofthe housekeeping. They hired but little
labor, and as far as possible did their own
work. She learned to do nearly all kinds of
work. She does not plow much, but she
can do it, She took out 80 to 100 stumps
one year with spade and axe, at the same
time assisted her brother, who was drilling
wheat. She bound and shocked wheat
and can drive team we'll. She can use the
axe pretty well formerly she could chop
better than her brother, but now he chops
as well as she can herself, and she does less
of it. She wears a gymnastic suit while at
home, at work, broad brimmed hat,
gloves, and boots made to order. She
wishes to look as we'll as other girls, and
thus protects herself from the exposure re-
sulting from outdoor labor. She likes the
open air life and the outdoor work, and is
healthy and strong---quite miracle OF
vigor from the modern young lady's stand
point.
Most of the home farm is cultivated in
corn, though she has acres in grass and
10 in orchard. She raised 23 acres OF
winter wheat in 1872. 1t was fine crop,
but she lost from to acres from the
failure of the man she had engaged to cut
it in time. Even then, with scarce and
inefficient labor by that feeble class of men
who are always willing to take advantage
of those who cannot help themselves, il
cost her $50 to harvest and thresh the
wheat. Yet she got 450 bushels of wheat
weighing 90 pounds TO the bushel.
The young orchard bore good deal Of
fruit in 1862, and she sold 100 barrels oi
summer apple, and has 150 bushel of apples
now in the cellar. She took most of the
apples to market herslf, selling some Of
them as low as 70 cents per barrel, ant
some as high as 81.