The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-06-03
PUT WOMEN ON THE LAND
FUTURE FEMININE TILLERS OF
THE SOIL WILL SPECIALIZE.
National Women's Horticulture Assoc
citation to Encourage Movement
From Cities to the Country.

From Cities to the Country.
The Pennsylvania School of Horti-
culture at its recent annual confer
ence took the initiative in the be-
ginning of q countrywide "back-to-
the-land" movement for women by
appointing a committee TO form
national women's horticulture ssso-
citation. The future feminine tillers
of the soil will specialize in flower
raising, bee keeping and growing
vegetables and fruit. Such necessary
training az will be required is being
supplied in the agricultural and hort
icultural schools which are springing.
up all over the country. Hundreds
of young men and women who are
shaving away in offices would be glad
of chance to go into the business
of raising chickens or gardening, but
they are unable to borrow capital
At the same time there are many
abandoned farms and idle land in the
country which would repay the ex-
penditure of a little energy and CAPT.
tai. The proposed ASSOCIATION, there
fore, intends to stimulate general in
terest in the movement with the OBJ
iect of inducing the federal govern
ment to take the question of loans
at moderate rate OF interest to the
men and women who have received
an outdoor training and to the rising
generation whom such a system
would encourage to obtain the need
full preparation.
The value of horticulture not only
as a means of reducing the high cost
of living but of solving the vice prob
lem was also pointed out. Miss M. V.
Landeman, manager of the Sleighton
farm for hayward girls in Delaware
county, Pa, told OF the many beneh-
cial results in both health and morals
which accrued from the training CIV
en- delinquent girls at the Sleighton
farm, and said that she thoroughly
agreed that the life in the open, the
excellent food and the work on the
farm were the best antidotes for way
wardness, which, she declared, was
result of conditions over which the
girls themselves had little or no con-
troll.
Last year LAO bushels of food
were raised on the farm, all the work
of planting, fertilizing and caring for
the crops having been done by the
girls. The only labor for which men
are hired is for blowing and harrow
ing. Last year the girls planted 500
grape vines, 100 peach trees, 500
shade trees, a mile and a quarter OF
privet hedge and 100 plum trees,
while this spring they set out cher
ry orchard and planted blackberry
and raspberry bushes.
The farm is almost self-supporting.
All the feed consumed by the pigs,
chickens and horses is raised by the
girls. Through their efforts the chick
en- farm more than pays for itself
and the pigs have become profitable
investment.
BY means of systematic manage
ment the farm is made to yield fresh
vegetables for all the inmates and ev-
cry morning the farm manager sends
bulletin to every cottage announc-
ing to the housekeeper that vegeta-
bles are available for picking. Be-
fore o'clock she has received an or
der from every cottage for the vege-
tables that will be required for the
day, and soon the girls are put to
work gathering their crops and put
ting them in condition for the kitch-
en-. For winter use the girl farmers
set aside turnips, beets, cabbage and
potatoes and these are taken every
day from the pits where they are
stored and given TO the various cot
tage housekeeperS.
The Importance of intensive Guilt
walton was realized when one of the
speakers at the conference brought
out the fact that New York had
but one days supply of food on hand.
The danger of famine in time of war
was declared to be a grave possibili-
ty unless the many abandoned farms
were cultivated by scientific methods.
and made to yield the utmost. The
health of the young people who
would adopt this profession would be
imroved, the food supply of tie eoun-
try would be increased, and besi5e all
this tho government would get its
money Lack,