Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-03-29
A Young Lady Farmer.

The Prairie Farmer says: We latey had
the pleasure of "interyie wingn a Miss A.,
of Illinois, who for some years past has
been engaged i'll carrying on a farm of l2O
acres and, deeming her example worthy
OF imitation in these days of uuhealthtul
and lackadaisical womanhood, we have
made n few notes for the benefit of our
readers.
Miss 4. was a teacher, but at the time
of her commencing farming was student
in a leading young ladies' seminary of the
country. Her father died, leaving widow,
aud, we believe two daughters and Il boy,
OF whom Miss A. was the eldest, and the
boy lad of ten or q dozen years of age.
The farm was, we believe, encumbered
with q considerable amount of debt. She
found the health of her mother, who was
endeavorng to manage the farm with hired
help, failing. and concluding % she express
ed it, that she would rather keep her moth
er than get a good education, she left the
seminary in 1868 and commenced farming.
The farm at that time consisted of eighty
acres of 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, aud 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
another from a friend, who also aids and is
! aided in turn by lending implements, &c.
! She has now good team of her own rails
ing, besides horse that does duty in the
market-wago
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
Of the housekeeping. They hired but little
labor, and as far as possible, did their OWE
work. She learned to do nearly all kinds
of work. She does not plOw much but she
can do it. She took out 90 to 100 stumps
! IN one year with spade and axe, at the same
! time assisting her brother who was drilling
wheat. She bound and shocked wheat,
and can drive team WELL She can use the
axe pretty we'll; formerly she could chop
better than her brother. but now he chops
as well as sle can herself, and she does less
OF il. She wears gymnastic suit.when at
home, and at work, broad brimmed hat,
gloves, and boots made to order. She
wishes to look as well as other girls, and
thus protects herself from the exposure re-
sulting from outdoor labor. She likes the
| open air life aud the outdoor work,
and is healthy and strong-quite Il maricle
of vigor from the modern young lady's
| standpoint.
! Most of the home farm is cultivated in
corn though she has acres in grass and
! II in orchard. She raised % acres of win
! ter wheat in 1872. 1t was a fine crop, but
! she lost from 3 to acres from the failure
of the man she had engaged to cut il in
time. Even then, with scarce and iuetli-
cent labor by that ftble class OF men that
are always willing to take advantage Of
those who cannot help themselves, it cost
| her $50 to harvest and thresh the wheat.
! Yet Ehe got 450 bushels Of wheat, weighing
| 81 pounds To the bushel.
The young orchard bore good deal oi
! fruit in 1872, and she sold 100 barrels oI
simmer apples, and has $50 bushels OF
apples now in the cellar. She took most OI
| the apples to market herself, selling some
of them as low as 75 ceuts per barrel, and
! some as high as 81.