Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-29


Miss Helen Holmes, a graduate Of Smith
college, has abandoned pink teas and ali
fashionable frivolities to become New
England farmer.
After the marriage of her brother Miss
Holmes was left in possession Of the family
residence, now called Hillholm farm,
handsome old colonial brick structure, to-
day furnished with all the taste that Is
the inheritance of the Smith maid jus
home from college.
There had previously been some attempt
to make the Hillholm farm pay before tn
departure of her brothers, but without an
great success, until Miss Holmes was left
there alone and stepped to the helm.
She took charge because there seemed no
one else TO do II and little by little her en-
thusiasm has grown until today she is q
thoroughly scientific college girl farmer.
OF course Miss Holmes doesn't actually
perform the manual labor of looking after
her farm, but she has all the supervision
over the six men whom she keeps busy IN
her greenhouse, stables, barn and poultry
yards.
Miss Holmes began with two cows in her
barns Now she not only has twelve OF
high class stock. nearly all of which she
has raised but she acts as the agent for
all the milk dealers in her vicinity, who
bring their milk to her farm, where 1t is
bottled and distributed by her men.
She is now planning to add a thoroughly
modern and scientific creamery, where all
the farm milk end that which she handles
will be cared for under the most approved
conditions.
One year ago Miss Holmes took up horti-
culture and had built modern greenhouse.
Her success was such that this new branch
of her farm work has been made to pay its
own expenses, which is rather more than Is
usually done the first year.
The most paying proposition at Hillholm'
as Miss Holmes declares, is the poultry
branch of the farm, where speciality IS
made Of raising broilers for the market
ducks and hens. Her flock Of hens often
numbers 800.
The farmers Of Kingston never hesitate
TO express their respectful admiration at
the success OF Miss Holmes and the hands
employed on her farm are as much in awe
at The mistress OF It as they would be OF
master. There IS always the constant
Difference paid TO the head of the farm.
Indicative Of their appreciation OF her
superior knowledge of management.
The mistress OF the farm is up early in
the morning arranging with her overseer
for the entire days work. She declares
farm work. like any other occupation,
must be carried on with businesslikc
precision and. she adds, understandingly.
Miss Holmes believes that the nearer
the market for her products the greater
the profits and for this reason all her
garden stock and fowls produce are dis
posed OF IN Kingston and the vicinity. She
sends nothing TO BOSTON. Each day early
her milk teams and In the summer months
her vegetable wagons leave the farm
loaded with milk and vegetables for dstri-
button I'm Kingston and at Plymouth.
She declares that the market has thus far
been always greater than she can supply
and this Il accounted for by the fact that
Miss Holmes farm milk and vegetables
are considered by the towns people 20 be
always the freshest and most desirable.
Her recent success in winning the $50
prize in the short course OF eleven weeks
at the Massachusetts, Agricultural school
at Amherst is indicative OF Miss Holmes
remarkable scientific knowledge of farm
ing IN general and Of horticulture and
dairy farming in particular.
Her Amherst course was taken with the
view 70 undertaking more extensive dairy
production and horticultural business az
Hmholm, and this coming season the col
iege girl farmer viii give particular at
tention 10 the management Of her green
house and stock
Miss Holmes Is well known in the town
Of Kingston, having after her graduation
from Smith been appointed superintendent
Of schools there. She belongs 10 one OF
the oldest families IN town and has adopted
her unique method Of livelihood by utilizing
the farm which now belongs to her.