The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-11-26

!
uct for telegraph poles, railway ties
etc, goes steadily on while the mel
are away. In the country inns. too
women are doing everything; not on
ly cooking, but running the establish
ment, and even taking the places Of
the garcons in the village cafes.
Occasionally a few men are seer
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, OF
very youne men and boys, not yet In
the class 17-year-o ld-recruits. But
these men are mere supernumaries
nowadays, much as the women were
before the war, when they gave a
helping hand when the harvest pres
sure was greatest.
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 cares of maternity
to the cares of soil. But the little
children are everywhere present. and
are helping their mothers in gather
ing the crops. In one field two lit
tie girls were guiding the ox-carts.
and in another a group OF little tots
were polishing of the leaves of cab
bage so as to make each one look
fat and profitable.
Curious detail: Even the farm
beasts-the cow--are bearing the
burden of the war here in the farm
regions, while most of their male
brethern-the oxen-have been mob
ilized at the front for the supply wa
CONS. Two beasts labored along the
road, drawing heavy cart of farm
produce. as the army chauffers stop
ped to repair 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
painters of carrots.
SIS that usual--to yoke milk
cows for burden?" was asked.
Yes. in wartimes even the cows
must carry their share was the re-
ply 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 retaind for stud purposes.
and the geldings were used for cav
airy and supply trains. Thus war
mobilizes the male animals for the
battleline and turns the female into
beasts of burden.
Inquiry of the farm women brought
out some interesting phases. They
have organized the work much as the
men did. The women workers are
graded and paid according TO ability
and position. Those in responsible
places make and francs day.
and more in the busy harvest season.
besides board and keep. Women in
common farm work make from
franc centimes (about 80 cents) up
ward. and much more during the
rush season. Young women between
is and "a get the best wages and do
the most work. Getting enough wo-
men farmhands has been difficult, but
recruits have come from the women
refugees from the devasted regions of
Northern 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 |
inquiries was that the army of France |
10 Stis an Vi Toi
example. in the 1908 class the young
men called to colors included 122.643
'armers. or almost as many as from
all other branches, including COM
nerce. This shows how the farmers
ire doing the fighting, and how the
arms have been left to the women.
rhe same proportion of farmers is
n all classes now called to the colors.
I'D to the class of 1916.
The result of the women's work in
the crops is told in official
eports of the Ministry of Agriculture
which, although incomplete at this
tage of the crops, shows an excep-
ionally good general condition. The
.creage in wheat has been only IL
'er cent less than last year. notwith-
a considerable section of
arm land In Northern France is now
verrun by the enemy. The acreage
4 rye is about the same as last year,
nd of oats little short of last year.
Q