The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-04
THE DARK SIDE OF THE PICTURE.
Some Reasons Why Women Dislike
Life on the Farm.
New York Ledger.

A writer whose name is almost house
hold word in this country, perpetrated the
following. sthe other day, under his own
to- the clear1tbins,na n'p Mind of man tn nt
women, as a rule, display certain unac-
countable aversion to farm life. Men do
not share this prejudice, for 1T can be
nothing else"
1t would be an interesting experience to
this man If he could. just for little while,
take the place Of some farmers wife, and
find out by actual trial just exactly why
farm life is not attractive to women. He
would come out of the experiment much
wiser than he went in: Only those who
have been there can understand just what
life on a farm means to the average in
telligent woman. If she is a born and bred
farmers daughter she learned in her ear
lest childhood that she must look after
certain things about the place, because the
men were busy in the field and hadn't the
time to spare. In many instances this, by
easy stages, grew to mean that the calves
the pigs, the chickens and the lambs must
be fed and watered, the COWS must be
brought from the pasture, MIXED, and TAX
night. The milk, where there is any guam
tity OF it, is the most exacting taskmaster,
and tolerates not one atom of neglect.
Cleanliness about the place is the only
way to secure the best results in the dairy.
cleanliness not only about the milk things,
but in the vicinity, for nothing takes up
odors so quickly as milk and butter.
Everything must be gotten ready for
market, and this falls to the lot of woman
KIND, ana il is a weary task that never
seems to have any vacation or intervals;
of life. The farm woman is as virtually. q
prisoner as though she were parole.
BILE pedestrians, and there is never a time
when the horses are not too tired or too
busy to take her anywhere except to mar
ket when something is needed for the
home
Sunday is one of the hardest days of the
week, as breakfast is always later than
nj obi how NET
be got ready for church or Sunday school.
as the farmers family who do not go regu-
larry to SUNDAY service are apt to ri, be
whole season is a succession of ruShes and
there is always something TO be put up or
packed down or prepared against the COM
ing winter.
One woman was never able to go any,
where during the summer and autumn be-
another was G slave to chow-chow and
pickles, and many a woman has worn her
life out in compromising sweetmeats and
canning fruit and vegetables for winter
consumption.
This is the dark side to farm life. and it
Is the common one. There is better side
to il, however, and this comes to people
who have an income from some business or
profession outside of the farm. 1t Is almost
an ideal situation for those of moderate
tivation. and moneS coming in from some
other source for luxuries. Five acres of
ground. with tolerable buildings, and 1920
a year. Will keep a ldliilly III Tic 1ilOSl COIl-
Portable and delightful fashion. il the re-
sources are properly utilized. 1t Is persons
without outside income that find farming
hard and uphill work. Farm produce. out
side of the market-garden, turns into cash
rather slowly. and the market-garden itself
entails an enormous amount of handling and
care Practically carried on, anywhere
from two to five acres will furnish all of
the provisions OF life TO a family of half a
dozen people, and leave a small surplus for
paying grocery bills and the necessary ex-
penses of the place. OF course. there is a
season with all farmers that is not product
i've. and ii is this that reduces the general
average. When people can so situate them
selves that they can grow all of the prod
uce they consume, and have something
over 10 fall back on in that portion of the
year when nothing grows at all, they have
solved the problem of living. And this
problem can only be solved in this way by
making the farm and other occupations
work together.