Evening star., 1915-11-21

After the detachment of heavw Gaia
guns had passed, we stopped 10 exan.
me the road, to see If this splendid
na.aoam n mad been cut by the constaut
cavalry hoofs. But there was not a
dent from the passing Of these twentv-
ton guns, and the well made roao
showed no more effect than from the
passlns OF several automobiles. The
oWcers said this condition was ueD-
.erai. and that the famous roads O,
france were passing through this or
ueai OF artillery and cavalry without
appreciable impairment
Women Cut saplings.
The women's work in the farm
regions is not confined to the fields.
but covers the whole range of work
incident to- agriculture One stretch or
country was particularly abundant in
straight young saplings, and here the
women were at work hewing the sap
iings, bling them like cord wood along
the road ready for the carts to take
10 the station. Further on. at the sta
tion, women were on the fiat cars re-
cefving saplings from other women on
carts. and thus this product for tele-
graph poles, railway ties. etc, goes
steadily on while the men are away
In the country inns, too. women are
doing everything; not only the cooking
but running the establishment, and
even taking the places of the garcons
in the village cafes.
occasionally few men are seen in
the fields. but they seem out of place
sprinkled among the ranks OF the
robust women. They are either old
men, usually bent and crippled who go
at their work unsteadily. or very yount,
seventeen-year-old recruits. But these
men are mere supernumeraries nowadays,
much as the women were before the
war. when they gave a helping hand
when the harvest pressure was
greatest.
New Babies Are Few.
The new babies, too, are very few in
the farm regions. In the three days
through the farm region only two farm
women were seen carrying young
babies. With the men all away at the
war the birthrate must necessarily
fall Off as these women are turning
from the cares of maternity to the
cares of the SOIL But the little chill
dren are everywhere present. and are
helping their mothers in gathering the
crops. In one field two little girls
were guiding the OK carts. and in an
other a group of little tots were polish
ing off the leaves of cabbages SO as
to make each one look fat and proht-
able.
Curious detail: Even the farm beasts
the cows-are bearing the burden OF
the war here in the farm regions, while
most Of their male brethren-the oxen
have been mobilized at the front for
the supply wagons. Two beasts labor
cart of farm produce. as the army
chauffeurs stopped to repair a tire. The
animals strained under the big wooden
yoke, but instead of being oxen they
were sleek young cows, their bags
heavy with milk. A woman driver
guided them. and they sank under the
yoke like the farm women bearing
their panniers of carrots.
Cows Must Bear Burden.
rs that usual-to yoke milch cows
for burden?" was asked.
Yes, in war times even the cows
must carry their share" was the reply.
And it was further explained that the
few horses seen in the fields were
mares, as the heavy stations were
needed for the artillery. except the few
retained for stud purposes. and the
Supply trains. thus % war var moSiIIses the the
male animals for the battle line, and
turns the female animals into beasts
of burden.
Inquiry of the farm women brought
have organized the work much as the
men did. The woman workers arc
graded and paid, according to abil-
ity and position. Those in responsible
and more in the busy harvest season.
besides board and keep. Women in
common farm work make from one
franc centimes (about 80 cents) up
season. Young women between eighteen
and twenty-four get the best wages and
do the most work. Getting enough wom-
an farm hands has been difficult. but re-
cruits have come from the woman refu-.
gees from the devastated regions OF
France. from Belgium and from
Poland. The old men and the boys
often earn less than the women, and
do less work.
One novel phase developed by the in
quiries was that the army of France
Is largely an army of farmers. For
in the 1908 class the young
men called to colors included 122.645
farmers, or almost as many as from
all other branches. including commerce
This shows how the farmers are doing
the fighting, and how the farms have
been left to the women. The same pro-
portion Of farmers is in all the classes
Of 1916.
Acreage But Little curtailed.
The result Of tho womer's work in
gathering the crops is told in Official
-eports of the ministry of agriculture.
which, although incomplete at this
stage Of the crops. shows an exception
lilly good general condition. The acre
lge in wheat has been only IL per cent
ess than last year. Notwithstanding
section OF farm land in
northern France Is now overrun by the
,nemy. The acreage OF rye 10 about
he same as last year and of oats a
title short of last year. The vineyards
nave fallen OF somewhat. not through
he women, but because Of wet seasons
md q pest. This Is Offset by two ex-
good crops. potatoes and
orage for horses and cattle. Both of
.hese latter crops are OF great ad-
to the fighting forces, partic-
,larly the forage.
So that altogether this army of the
women of France has fought the battle at
lome. planting and gathering the crops
o keep the country sustained. while
he other army has fought the battles
t the front.
The College State.
rom the Philsdefphia Ledger.
with forty-two universities. colleges
nd chronological schools in Pennsyl-
ania holding commencement exercises
his month. Pennsylvania in search
Z the most bizarre varieties Of mental
% hul,,rp should he convinced that he