The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
WOMEN HELP ~ THE FIELDS.


READING July S.-The girl student at the
normal school or the seminary who has COMO
home to the farm on vacati ion Is not to be idle
this summer. She must toll in tho hay and the
harvest field. Male labor Is so scarce that all
the women folks must lend hand 10 get in the
crops. The situation in this neighborhood is
very much rs II was In the country districts
during the civil war. The men went to the
front and the women at home did tho work
Now the men have Joined the ranks OF labor in
the mill. factory. furnace foundry mine and
quarry. They have no desire to work from
thirteen to fifteen hours day for 81 20. when
they can get ST. 80 to 81 10 for nine or ten
hours. Farmers wives and daughters. there
fore. are in for it. Already the girls are max ing
w having parties. That is. they are sending
invitations to city girl acquaiutances to come
out and help rake hay. promising them bed and
board and Il good time generally One letter
received by a city girl says:
You often at school wished you could spend
vacation on the farm, As we are short OF help
on th" farm Just now II occurred to me that
you might enjoy "A season OF good exercise out
here ON our place You can have tho corner
room OF the farmhouse. 1t has four windows
and good bed and you can have plenty of
fruit and fresh milk good meals and lots OF
fun. but you must help us at haying and har-
vest. | will tell you the programme. so that
you will know all before you come You see,
the men are scarce-l mean work ngmen. NV
father has 100 acres to take car, OF. We are
all going to help. W" will have a good time
hut with lots Of work in the hot sun: but YOU
can wonr gloves and u hg hat for protection.
We will have to get NJ! al :, clock in the morn
ing md hc,ip arougpd The ,iniry The boys viii
before breakfast to work NJ whatever fn, her
puts us to-. Wa have break fast al pcloch
! light luncheon in the tlelIs' under some shn,I@
tree. IN" maid servants bring It "nt To- us.
Then we rest h4lf hour and work until ,noon.
or say hall past IL whom We ~ in to dinn"r
| with tn" farm folks All eat OF one table Willis
tn" nor;es are fed il IN" barn IN" animals
rest an hour: So will We. Then we work until
! Then we have free evenings. We can have lois
Of fun unttlt. when we 20 to bed 10 rl-r with
III" lark. II you come bring pair OF heavy
| shoes and dark cotton dress Of som" kind.
Father may allow you 30 cents a day II you're
Tho Young recipient of the letter has decided
| at least. instead OF going to the senShOrn. She
may return to her city home with her ideas Of
rural III" considerable changed, Where r"un-
try girls get to work on the farm aud are used
to II. il IL not So much uf task. but To- the city
girl who is "A tendcrfoot that Is another story.
When farm machinery WAS first Introduced II
was feared that men in tn" country could get
no mo~ WORT The present ho"m in general
and bicycles TAX" th"s" men To- tn" towns
cities and villages t" WOr" in ~" mlnufA"
can. They are even trying tn press 'ramps
into the service. but suddenly tramps have be-
como wonderfully scarce, What has become OF
them Is au unanswered question. They are not
at work that is. the professionals are not and
they hav" suddenly Disappeared 1t is
likely they have shifted thur quarters far
INTO the mountains or gone to tn" seaShoTc
Tor all these reasons the girls and women
tolkS in town and country ar" being Ir"s-od
into service to destroy potato bugs in the
patches. hoe corn, rake in the hay nrld. follow
III" wagons, toss the hay to dry and assist al Il
hundred things in field orchard. patch and
garden. or assist in work about the house or
dairy. Tn" old story that Il farmers work IL
never done is especially true at this season Of
the year. Girls can even dirty" tha milk wagon
to the creamery. drive, to the store. assist in
eggs. ard DO n large variety Of other light
w'rE that requires time and attention.
OF course, the city girls will b" treat
ed on the, farms largely Ike COMPANY
but they Will be expected tn help along.
! frst-cas farmers wife can lind plenty OF
work for them to do unit Septcm Der II the city
visitors will remain so long The effect OF the
scarcity OF male help is already seen IN nun
dreds 81 hay fields, where women and girls,
in wide-h rimmed hat. are already at work
Several college and seminary professors are
| lending their assistance. They may be sons
in-law OF the farmers in due time. To many 1t
| is a love story all the way through. and thus
labor becomes pleasant AFFAIR after all