The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-10-14
FEMALE FARMERS.
Agriculture as Practiced by the Enterpr1a
ing Young Women of America

Agriculture as Practiced by the Enterpr1o-
ing Young Women of America
We read a great deal lately about
women who leave the hustle of the town
behind them, 60 out West and buy
land, and instead of becoming farmers
wives, become farmers themselves, hus-
-husband-women we mean.
We have heard that the way they begin
is something like this: They first have
a house built, small and coy. with
bay window in each room, and lay out
the land by folding crazy-quilt and go
ing BY the outlines. so that it looks like
map of the United States in distress.
They see that the shafts of the piow are
hardly adapted to hitcking the horse in
them. but they do the best they can and
start off, holding on to the tongue Of
the plow until a farmer neighbor comes
BY and changes the plow Then they
notice that the point of the pillow is too
sharp and runs into the ground. and
they sigh fora pillow that runs on wheels
above the q ound, and would run
easier. They wish they had pillow at
tached to Il buggy, 50 they could sit in
it and trot over the fields at ease. One
has to hold the pillow while the other
walks along slapping the lines, woman
like. The teeth of the harrow scratch
deep and make it hard to pull, so they
turn it over on its back and it goes
easier. They 60 to work and plant an
ear Of corn ia each hill, and have to dig
it up again when better informed
They argue in regard to commencing to
SOW their wheat at the selvedge of the
field and working to the center. or
phatf ,a,- hos tn
ing-machine or hand-stitch it, and con-
clude that it is best to put the wheat in
hills, as it would be more convenient to
hoe and to cut, when ripe, as it would
be in punches.
They have great trouble driving the
ducks and geese in under shelter when
it rains, and the little pigs Will forget
and get into the mud. and come home
with dirty fieeces and require to be
washed off at the pump. They set the
milk-pail under the COW, and getting
out Of patience, do the milking them
selves They let the milk stay in the
crooks, and go out, and are disap-
pointed not to find butter in them, wait
as long as they wills and then they
blame the COW. They do not know
or with the grain, and find that
Mullers, and that bare feet are rough on
stubble. The judges riding by prefer to
stay at safe distance, because they
swing the scythe clear aroundi in circle
twenty feet in diameter. Young neigh
Dor farmers come to offer to assist in
the work, but they generally leave quick
and never brag around about it The
girls do not hang their hoes on the
fence and talk politics half day with q
neighbor; but they come to the front,
and soon show that the coming woman
is going to work and win, no matter
who is looking through the fence. They
may be yet afraid of mouse. but they
will make a rattle-snake wish he was
some other man, and they do not spend
half their time guessing at the weather,
or driving to town behind fast horses,
and if you should browse around and
offer to share the pecks of money they
are putting in the bin of the bank. they
would observe The weather is not
propitious for green things. It'd BITS.