Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-27

vxvASHINGTON, D. c. July 24-"I see no
wv reason why women should not make just
good farmers men, declared Pro
fessor w. J. Spillman. expert in the bureau Of
farm management of the department of agrlcul-
ture, few days ago.
The professor was seated in his office, the
walls of which are decorated with maps of the
United States splotched with colors that inter
pref the present crisis to the initiated eye. one
covered with large yellow splOtches represents the
government mobilization of farm labor that is now
going forward in all parts of the country. Fac
ing the professor sat a young lady who had come
in search Of advice farming a career.
els a woman strong enough" asked tho
young lady doubtfully. Isn't blowing very hard?"
The professor explained that in these days of
machinery blowing was not very hard. When
YOU planted your crops you rode in a steam trac
tor and kept the side boxes full of seed. PlOw-
ing was accomplished without even this effort.
Even without steam, he said blowing was not diff
fcult Neither harvesting All you had to
do was to occupy the seat and drive couple of
horses, or, falling seat, to walk along in back
of the horses with the reins In your hands. Wom-
en- might have some trouble stacking heavy bun
dies of grain he thought but 1t sometimes
possible to hire men for that particular task.
Furthermore" declared the professor, next
season l expect to at least thirty thousand
women taking the place of men farms. 1t IS
estimated that about 40 per cent, or 100000 Of
the young men drafted, will come from the farms
needed to help harvest the crops"
In view Of this, Professor Spilman thinks that
the present training camps for women might do
we'll to teach agriculture instead of shooting, 80
that in time of need they might prove really use
full. An inexperienced person is of little use on
farm. Hence II the women's clubs will organize
classes in milking, gardening, driving horses and
poultry-feeding, in addition to a few lectures
agriculture it would ultimately be of great serv-
ice to the nation.
This opinion is also shared by several other
experts in the department of agriculture. AL
ready 1t is becoming difficult to secure male la
Dor for the farms, that the idea of hiring women
presents itself a natural alternative. More
over, there others in the department who agree
with Professor Spillman that women make just as
good farmers men, One man in a sudden burst
of generosity said he thought they likely to
achieve greater success than men for the
reason that the principal buyers of
the nation and therefore knew what other women
liked in buying food.
Women have been farmers, of course.
since there were farms. In a way II is not new
question. II you consult the last census you will
find that out Of eight million women in occupations
in the United States, 100000 in agriculture.
But the majority of these are women whose
homes are farms. Their work is not agriculture
but homework. Thus women agrlculturlsts-
women who own and manage their own farms or
women who choose agriculture as profession
are still rare. To be sure, the number is ncreas-
ing almost daily. Iowa and Missouri now have
women farmers associations, with central head
quarters and annual conferences at which the
women meet and talk their various farming
problems.
Then the famous international show is no lon
ger a masculine institution at all. 1t used to be
the case that the women merely accompanied their
husbands and appeared only at the horse show,
which was considered the big social event of the
occasion. Now women are to be found at the
show during all the hours of the day, discussing
the exhibits, arguing farm problems with the men,
and occasionally going home with blue and purple