Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-11-14
WOMAN'S WORLD IN PARAGRAPHS.
Why Do Not Women Take Up Farming az
an Ocrmnafinn2

Among the most admirable Of the so
called women's editions Of daily papers
published for various charitable enter
prises is a late number Of the Mobile
Daily Herald. I am glad to see among
its contributions one from Virginia o.
Meredith of Indiana, recommending
farming as an occupation for women.
Mrs. Meredith's famous Shorthorn herd
shows that she is a practical example of
her own preaching. She says that dairy
ing, beekeeping, fruit farming, yegeta-
BILE gardening, stock raising, ETC., are
peculiarly fitted to women, and 90 they
are. Mrs Meredith mentions several
reasons why farming is especially suited
to women with their living to earn. One
is that it requires small economies par
ticularly trying to the masculine mind.
Another is that it offers a good home, a
steady living and safe and sure if small
returns. Men do not like to bother with
such small returns and small economies Z;
therefore they have left farming in num-
bers to engage i'll business that promises
greater yields. This leaves a large field
open for women. Another reason why
farming is suited to our sex is that it is
carried on at home. Women generally
prefer the safe, sweet shelter of the do
mestic hearth When they can remain
within that shelter day after day and
still make a good profit out Of it, they
can be entirely happy and independent
wish women with their living to earn
would seriously think Of taking up farm
ing just now when men are abandoning
it in discouragement. Besides the
branches already mentioned, there is
Horticulture, one Of the most beautiful
and remunerative occupations known /
am glad to note that many successful
! southern women farmers exhibit agricul-
tural products at the Atlanta exposition
Mrs. Joseph Thompson, president of the
women ! board, il herself famous melon
grower. Mrs Agusta Betend shows
luscious and wonderful collection Of
fruits Of her own cultivation. Another
lady makes a complete dairy exhibit.
Farming no longer consists Of plowing
and reaping by hand 1t has been 80 diff
| ferentiated that one must be a specialist
on one or two branches to be successful.
And with the differentiation much Of
the old heavy, back breaking work has
disappeared. Woman y strength is equal
to nearly all the labor in many branches.
A few days ago I asked a gentleman
who had been id all parts Of this coun-
try what he would do if he wanted to
make some money. He answered: III
would 20 to Alabama, between Decatur
and Montgomery, and buy up very cheap
some Of the old abandoned cotton land
there Then / would seed it to clover
and wait three years, leaving the clover
on the ground to enrich the soil At the
end Of three years / would plow the
clover under and seed to either hay or
pasture grass. Thereafter would only
need to draw my income from the hay
or pasture live stock on the grass. 1t
would need several hundred acres to
make any considerable income the man
said. Now, l wonder why women could
not buy old cotton lands and pursue
with them the course indicated. They
could, know, just as well as men could.
I l have heard in fact Of two young ladies
who are doing that very thing They.
however, have bought a large tract Of
pine lands and propose to enrich it till
it is brought to a high state Of fertility.
Thus enriched, the lands in Alabama
and many parts Of Arkansas will pro-
duce anything, raising most delicious
grapes, peaches and other fruits. The
climate is mild and delightful the year
around.
A gentleman who has all his life till
now held out against woman suffrage
tells me that he j. convinced that it is
necessary. Women ATE advancing 60 rap
idly and taking such an active share in
all the concerns Of modern life that be
says they will be seriously handicapped
in their usefulness without the ballot.
Thus we gather therepentant sinners in
to the fold
The ladies Of Atlanta should not have
/ felt disappointed because Mrs. Cleveland
did not visit the exposition along with
the president. How could she have been
expected to do SO with a 3-months-old
baby? Mrs Cleveland il quite right to
4 give her personal attention to her babies.
In this respect she is a model mother.
Mrs.. Helen Gregory Flesher, "A. M,
is now editor of the San Francisco
Searchlight.
The annual meeting Of the New York
State Woman Suffrage association will
be held at Newburg on the Hudson from
Nov to ~. This association is one Of
the ablest and most enthusiastic organi-
zatiCns Of women have ever known.
4 They are devoted and self sacrificing.
The hard work they have done for wom-
an suffrage would have secured to a body
armed with the ballot any amendment
to a state constitution they wanted long
ago. That these workers have not yet
got their amendment is owing solely to
the fact that they have no vote. The
equal suffrage documents they have pub
| lished are as fine a contribution to the
literature Of liberty for the human race
as ever was printed. Mrs Jean Brooks
Greenleaf of 64 North Goodman street,
Rochester, is president of the association,
and Mrs Isabel H0wland Of Sherwood il
corresponding secretary.
An appropriate celebration in honor
Of Elizabeth Cady Stanton will take
place at the Metropolitan Opera House,
New York city. Nov. H. Although Mrs.
Stanton viii be so years old ON that
day, we all hope she viii yet live TO cast
her ballot as free and enfranchised
citizen.
It is a pleasure to record that the BIZ
cycle magazines edited by men one
and all favor trousers for women on the
wheel These chivalrous brothers per
haps give a thought to how it would
seem to be themselves hampered by
skirts upon bicycle.
ELIZA ARCHARD CONNER.