The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

| personal letters. but oftenest as answers
TO the questions on the discussion papers.
The letters on home industries were par
ticuIarly satisfactory. Here is one in which
a woman with whom I had some former
correspondence gives her experience in
making a business Of cultivating bulbs.
I will read what she says:
1T nave always possessed an inextin-
guishable desire to grow flowers, and be-
lieving that success in anything is largely
dependent on ones natural taste when |
started out in business l held my fondness
for flowers in mind. Some time ago |
began growing gladiolus bulbs on a small
scale. My first stock OF bulblets, foi which
1 hod paid good price, did not come M
MY determination to learn why lod to n
deeper study of Horticulture and nv present
suvovss.
81 now have my gladiolus bulbs. bulb
let's and seeds planted, varieties labelled,
| choice Seeding blooms carefully noted,
crop harvested and prepared for market
under my personal supervision, doing as
much Of the work as possible myself. |
not only grow many choice seedlings. but
1 find hand pollenizing a delightful study.
81 enjoy the work. 1t is healthful.
refined and to me far more enjoyable than
constant lnOOOT eiuplOyihehts nave SUI
ceeded far beyond my expectations. |
have a growing trade and n good stock OF
the best and most valuable varieties in
! cultivation. / devote as much OK my time
as possible to its study
Another farmers wife makes extra
money by Matching in her incubator chickens
for her neighbors ut three and a half cents
each for healthy chicks t~wenty-four hours
LII " oont;n,aI Miaa Van Rauaselacr plapC-
ing over a pile Of letters. One weaves rugs.
for which she receives from IS cents to "A
dollar and a half apiece. Another has a
greenhouse, several raise early vegetables.
a few make a speciality of herbs. while ~
many, many of them struggle to turn a few
extra pennies by knitting and crochetinc.
| This work Is done to order as a rule for city
FIRMS, and the remuneration which the
! farmers wife or daughter receives in hardly
over more than three cents an hour.
Besides helping the women of the farrr
in their domestic lives the reading course
! aims to broaden their views by helping them
to form clubs and making them take per-
sonal interest in the neighborhooi school.
One of our pamphlets treated entirely Of that
subject and gave a list OF books, the best
authority on school hygiene, sanitation and
how to improve school grounds. We
urged that each Of the clubst that had bean
formed to study and discuss our reading
course would devote one or moro of its meet
ings each year to considering the improve
ment of the public school grounds in their
neighborhoo1.
"In the five years OF our existence the
| clubs of farmers wives. formed for the pur-
pose OF discussing our reading course.
nave become 30 general that now it can
almost he asserted that there is such a club
in every neighborhood. As a rule these
! neighborhoods comprise a radius OF from
ten to fifteen miles. In many instances
through the winter months they hold meet
ings every two weeks at the houses OF differ
ent members At these meetings each
hostess in turn provides tea. sugar. cream.
butter and potatoes, cooked as she chooses,
while the rest of the meal is contributed
by her visitors. This is when the meetings
take place in the evening, and as a rule
the farmers as we'll as their wives attend.
As often as possible lecturers are sent
| from Cornell to meet with these clubs OF
farmers wives. Often they lecture on
some subject previously agreed on. but
sometimes they simply hold a meeting
| for the purpose OF discussing and answer
ing questions. They act as a sort OF bureau
Of general information. l often wish that
persons who look upon farmers wives as
lacking intelligence. being backwoods. as
! they express it. might attend some OF these
meetings with me. I know OF no other
class Of women who are more intelligent
or have as sane and well balanced a view
Of life.
Il admit that they are 'backwoods' in
their dress and in the little niceties of man.
| ner and in the decoration of their surround
| ings, but when it comes to deep thoughts
on the problems Of life on reading, not
merely skimming through books, they are
far ahead of the city woman. II is because
they nave more time, OF course, and also
because life on q farm compels the woman
to think Of others rather than herself. She
has to consider the welfare of her whole
family, which includes every living creature,
man and beast, on the farm.
"The success Of this reading course was
30 pronounced, the wives of the farmers
took such a decided interest in it, that the
necessity OF a fifth winter course was felt
and added to Cornell University This
course is especially for the wives and
| daughters Of farmers. II opens early in
January and closes in the latter part Of
March. The tuition is free for all residents
of the State. 30 that the expenses are only
the personal OUTLAWS for travelling and
living. The course is a continuation Of
home economics as begun in the reading
course. The lecturers are al women
leaders in the field in which they give in
structions.
THE farm women who have taken this
course-it has only been in operation two
years-have 30 far proved themselves par
ticularly valuable in organizing and direct
ing study clubs in their neighborhoods. IL
seems wonderful sometimes how much a
woman can learn in a few weeks. Many
Of the farm women who ave attended the
winter course LAY told me that they had
gained food for thought for a lifetime.
They not only go home younger and with
fresh courage to attack the problems Of
their lives but are able to help their neigh
bors to a more extended understanding Of
our reading course.
THE one drawback to the work Is that
il is not large enough. We lave so many