Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-25
FARMING FoR WOMEN.

FARMING FOR WOMEN.
Mrs. Addington of Henrietta, Texas, as a
lady farmer who has shown by her own
exertions what 4 lady might do in the Lone
Star state as a practical farmer, if she
would only go about the business inteli-
gently and with a determination to sue
coed. Mrs. Addington started in with a
small garden of roses, more for her own
personal pleasure, apparently, than any
thing else. This little rose patch soon gave
her an inkling of what she might do with
Texas soil, for profit and she began widen
ing out, and kept at it until she now has
good farm all her own, which brings her
entire independence. She has this week
furnished US q paper in which she states
that in these days of industrial revolution,
with every opportunity to learn and do, it
seems strange to her that women fail to see
TO what profit and advantage they might
engage in outdoor farm work. If they can
grow roses and geraniums in a window,
why not grow an acre of onions that would
pay from $500 to. 5000 Or why not so in
for no more mind or judgment than do the
usual occupations OF womenl She con-
tinues:
We of the South are peculiarly an agri-
cultural people. There are, probably, not
more than 100000 of non-agriculturists
strictly speaking, and these live in our
cities. Even the inhabitants of our villages
are semi-agriculutral, as ia rule, the bust
ness and income of many of those inhab-
itants coming mainly from the farm.
But what of our women? We have not
the factories, shops, clerkships, etc, to
supply them with diversified employment.
But there is a new life opening to them in
agriculture, horticulture and other rural
pursuits. growing out of the new and avail
able markets being made by our railroads.
These new avenues bring o call for every
thing that can be produced including live
stock, etc, etc. 1t brings to view very
inviting field for our women, pledging to
them comfortable living on the farm, and
comparatively few are now expecting more
of any business.
A field of waving corn is said to be the
most beautiful thing in nature save q
beautiful woman. How would it do to add
the beautiful woman to the beautiful field
of waving cornl Why notg a woman may
grow a beautiful field Of waving corn. For
my own part would rather grow field of
waving COIu Juan 10 paint lLS eOllllIca
pictures of the day, or to do the much
praised embroidery work on a table scarf,
or 70 design costly ball-dress. And then,
how grand, how almost godlike to own the
land upon which the corn is grown-a part
of the UNIVERSE slice Of mother earth all
your own, reaching down TO the eternal
fires and extending upward to the starry
heavens How you love the kind, patient,
productive soil that feeds and clothes the
world; and a slice of it is all your own.
The mellow, sweet earth you plow because
il is yours to plow, and from which you
harvest the crops because they are yours TO
harvest. Let it be al your own in the
strictest sense of the term. l would as
soon think of putting a mortgage on my
hopes of heaven as on my farm.
When you own the soil upon which you
live, move and have your being, bow dear
to you becomes the off-spreading Handicapped
The green, ocean-like prairie reaching far
away fills you with delight. You feast
your eyes upon its misty tints mingling in
the distance, which seem to border world
of delights in which is your square of
grain, your long, green strip of corn. your
beautiful field of cotton with its yellow and
pink blossoms early in the season, and
later its ''knee deep of summer snow,n as
the poet has It. At even you stand upon
your porch and see wild birds swimming
ia the lake, your lake, perhaps, and YOU
some sleepy old town mile or so away.
Above you arch the heavens so clear-no
smoke Of factory obscuriug them. And
yonder bright star is Just peeping out 1t
is directly overhead, so, being Immediately
above your land it is, for the time, your
own star. So you own 4 star, and can al
most feel that you have harnesSed your
possessions to it and are OF for an evening
drive among the things celestial.
The woman owing farm and running it
inteliigently, and all in her own way, has
stepped into phase of life whose Joys and
pleasures are not dreamed Of by the woman
in any other position or sphere Of life She
has new circle of friends that viii never
give her the cold shoulder. They will never
be found whispering behind her hack, but
will meet her with smile whenever she
goes among them, and IN th7s smile there
will be nothing of the counterfeit. The
things of nature make up her circle, and
God, Himself, is at the head of all.
fSexs week Mrs. Addington VIII give