Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-25
VIRGINIA CANNING CLUBS;
THE WORK is EXPANDING
Miss Agncw, OF Virginia, Was "a Pho.
necr In the Good Work to
BE Done.
SOUTH TOOK LEADING PART
Big Things That Small Work Has
Led To--Nirginin Woman, ON Her
Travels, Learns and Teaches as
She Goes Along.


The canning club work In Virginia
has grown so rapidly during the las,
five years that III has now. a; tho ear
nest solicitation OF the women, become
known as home demonstration work
with about 500 women enrolled as dem
ohstrators. Ill addition I" the LOO girls
In the &C. and y clubs" These
women are working toycthcr ON no
line OF home developments some taking
up gardening and Canun. some, poul-
try. others study % homo iuauarcrDont
decoration and other labor saving de
vices. care OF children. and in fact
every line of work pertaining IT, bring
ING about the ocst possible conditions
TN our country homes
Miss Ella Agnew. state agent has
Just returned from a visit 10 Tennessee
and Kentucky in tho interest of the
work For the first time in tho his
tory Of education a real course for the
canning club workers has been intro
duced into college. Or. Bruce Payne
president OF Peabody COLLEGE is de-
Nelopins this phase NJ the work in
that college, and secured the services
of Miss Ola Powell and pr Struush
from the Agricultural Department at
washington 10 give special instruc-
lions in canning, preserving, Jelly
making. etc. The other part of the
course-manual training food values.
cooking, sewing, hygiene. sanitation.
cooperative marketing, community
service. etc, were taught by special
lets.
Since this was the first time such a
course was given. Or, Payne thought
II a suitable thing to have present the
= FIRST woman ever employed by the
government To do this work There
fore Miss Agnew, Of Virginia. was
there: the second and third women
employed were also thcrc-Miss Pow
ell. of Mississippi. and Miss Moore, OF
Tennessee.
The week was n most profitable one
This work In all its phascs-from work
at the Washington office To the girls
in their helds-waS presented to the
crowds gathered.
During the afternoons practical dem
onsttations were given of canning and
preserving. Since cabbage was being
sold at five cents waSon-load, spe
cial demonstration was given IN MAX
ing sauerkraut to can. in order To save
the crop.
The question Of home convcnienres
was taken UP, and one afternoon
hreless cooker was made in fifteen
minutes at a cost Of fifty-Seven cents;
the next afternoon "A chicken was
cooked In II and served to the crowd.
with creole dressing made from the
girls products.
The week was an eye-opcner To many
people gathered from north. south. east
and west. DR. Payne. in speaking of
the work to his students. said; Some
of the most distinguished women work
ers In the South will have charge Of
these exercises 1t is one OF the most
= thrilling kinds Of work which has
Vripped the people Of the South during
: the past decade. i believe that no one
" no n LODI t,f eIu
tional conditions in this region. or To a
position of leadership among our peo-
! pie, can afford to miss the opportunity
of learning OF this mos, valuable
achievement"
In Virginia the girls in all the coun-
ties are much excited over the short
course to be given TO the girl ranking
highest In each county on July u from
this time to August S. Abou; thirty
five girls and five agents Will 20 to
Harrisonburg for this course. y Spe-
cial course is planned for them. includ-
Ing sewing, cooking, canning. poultry
manual training, drawing, games, story
telling, etc. There are several cAcur-
sions planned for them, and All are
looking forward TO Il busy, good time
Many are to meet in Richmond on
the morning of the 31St with the county
agents, who are to take them safely
to Harrisonhurg and hiring them back
that far This is the first short course
ever given in Virginia. and wc are en-
pectins great things from the girls who
Work in the counties is growing so
rapidly that many counties are forced
to employ assistants for the camuim,.
season. One county far is uakiu;:
A wonderful record Mrs Coleman,
agent for Halifax. received IL girls
In the club in March. She fclt She
~.
thirteen OF these girls hay" actually
put out their gardens. She has. in addi-
ton, forty i've girls and women over
eighteen years old engaged in garden,
hfty-fve home demonstrators among
the women and cighty-hve poultry
club members. II is no wonder the
supervisors gladly increased the appro-
= prtation In order 10 employ three as
sistants. Other counties are doing well,
: but this is the oldest county worked
therefore. the enthusiasm is OF special
Interest. And all other workers may
take courage.
One Halifax girl lay her efforts in
garden work is paying her way throue h
college without assistance OF tn.
worth willie that develops young
womanhOod along those lines" Ana
when merchants ana business men are
: asked for support. either as prizes or
: in employing assistants. should IL be
considered begging oil charity. as
some seem TO think l. IL not ufferiu Z
them Il splendid opportunity for live
- advertising, the best sort of mutual
benefits? The ~idc-awake merchants
in all communities az. aware Of mis-
and many times ask 10 bc Of service.
but. j am sorry 10 say W. s;in hav,
some. in our live cities even. who fail
to read ahead. We are clad to h.l,
them as well AS the girls that M.
whole state may grow together IN
mutual helptulneSs.