The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-18
WOMEN OF n. DAKOTA

or a 81 can careiRSSly left in the entry,
or a as cent pitchfork lying tine up, in
danger of destruction and a menace
alike to man and beast. Things like
these have all been seen in barns and
will be seen again. Such disorder lis
ven known in houses, but ii is more
destructive in q barn presided over by
the irresponsible hired man and trod
by heavy footed animals.
In and about the granary a woman
may g gunny sacks and grain sacks
strewn broadcast If she were to and
a dime or a quarter on the ground she
would remember 1t all day. she can
pick UP q dime or a quarter from the
ground any time she a sack
from destruction; or every time she
drives home a lesson that the place to
hang q sack is on a wire, instead OF
on the floor. Again, the grain that win
run through a rat hole In a year. or
that will spoil from a little leak in the
roof is serious, These little things are
often overlooked. They can be so cas-
lily remedied by a piece Of tin. a cat
n a saucer Of milk, q small boy with
a hammer.
What Is a woman % do about 1t?
S~traighten things up-apick up the
premises as 1t were? She couldn't
scold the menfolks? Probably not.
There are as many ways Of helping
matters as there are women. The i'm
portant thing is for her to recognize
that such things exist on the farm, and
to decide in her w mind that they
are going to improve. After she gets
to this point, she win ind a way.
Around the shop the waste is steady.
Few farmers know the value of their
tools. As an example of this, an agri-
cultural college professor OF nv ac-
quatntance asked a farmer with whom
be was visiting about how much his
tools were worth. The farmer said he
guessed about $50. The professor
looked around and then suggested that
they take an inventory. They found
that the shop contained, according to
the listed catalogue price, 1898 worth
OF tools. A tool dropped on the door
OF q house can be hunted up and put
away afterward; on the Uttered floor
Of a shop 1t is in much greater danger
II dropped about the yard when used.
1t is probably gone. All women know
that men are careless about droppine
their possessions around the house Is
1t likely that they are less so out OF
doors? 1 know OF no better way ia
check the loss Of farm tools than to
a a yearly inventory, just after
Christmas, the time the merchants are
taking theirs. Compare the lists from
year to year. 1t is a great eyeopener
and very much worth while.
Another way in which a woman may
use her training about the barn is the
feeding. She has had a long racial
experience as caterer-from the begin
ming 1t has been her mission to "feec
the brute" and her practice tells. Lei
me give you an example of this. a
herd of milk cows owing to bad wealth
er conditions, and the stress of work
was being allowed to get alonr
through November on timothy, hay
n corn on the cob. The cream re.
ceipts that month were between s4C
and $50. This feeding worried {
woman who saw it. She persuaded tn.
farmer to take q few days, haul in ant
shred some corn. n grind the ear
into corn and cob meal. She also sen
out to the farm a half ton OF bran Il
mix with the meal, and balance til,
ration. AT the end of December ther,
were several sacks Of bran still OF
hand the cattle had consumed les
corn, they were in better condition
and the cream receipts from the sam,
herd were over $50. 1t is said tina
the BYE OF the master fattens tn,
cattle" If the farmers wife see
every animal every day or even ono
a week, she will prove a valuable pai
OF spectacles to the overworked farm
ers eyes.
How is the farm roma to get tim,
for these things7 I know Of but on,
way to make time in this busy world
1t Is by the process Of elimination
Everybody has the same amount d
time and everybody has all the worl
he will do. The wise woman decides
on the most profitable use to whicl
her time may be put, so disposes ii
and pushes other things aside.
If, for instance, you can earn SIS
week by looking after things outside
say three hours a day, and can hire
woman inside for SIS a week to was
the dishes and do some other thing,
you will naturally hire the woman
unless you are rich and have a specis
love for dish washing.
Il If o can get the years sewing don
by hiring a ~dressmaker a month
$3.50 a day, and can thereby get leis
ure for reading that win increase til
annual productivity OF your far
4 OF mn r-1,. x-4In Iow~~
unless you have money enough a
! ready, and would rather sew tha
read. It's ~pleasanter going to a farm
er's institute than staying at HON
: and canning tomatoes, and it's wori
more money.
Z The price OF q power washing macI
: inc may be earned many times over
an intelligent crop sale. and bendin
I over crop reports is easier than benz
: ing over the wash board. Al farm,
told me that he v made SO mus
! money as when he stopped working.
7 is true that no farmer can afford
I work ~eonsecutively except the OF
whose farm Is small enough to perm
! him to do everything. and keep it q
I under his own hand: 1t Is equally tn
!, that no farm woman can afford to do q
! her house work except the one who's
! house work IL so light that she hi
I still time for out of doors interest
scientific reading and community lit
Our next call to the farmers vii
J takes the woman afield. There hs
been In America q prejudice againl
field work for women. and I would III
; like myself to pitch hay all day. nc
shock nor ride a gang~-thougA I kno,
that they are all pleasanter ana ID
volve no more physical exertion tina,