The sun., 1917-07-01
3, ELEANOR BOOTH SIMMONS.

MI others who view with an APP
1 v i prehensive eye the gradually
dvindling power OF the male every
where in this modern world save In the
trenches had better keep close watch
on the women's Agricultural Farm
on the state road out near Bedford
Hills Take It from ope who recently
spent an entire day there. feminism Is
growing on that farm like the pota-
toes the girls planted on June 8.
The potatoes appeared above ground
on June 10 and ON June 90, the date
they we're due to show UP. the aspiring
Young shoots were two inches high.
know because and the flfty farmer
ettes with the assistance of Miss
Agnes Tisdale Dexter. the agricultural
teacher, and Prof Ida II. Ogilvic of
Columbia University. official farm
chaperon. measured them with the rule
Sophia Amson. boss of the tool house,
carries in her overalls pocket.
The farm has powerful friends. Dean
virginia c. Gildersleeve of Barnard
and all the rest OF the college are back
ing Il as a war measure-except Of
course Barnard's pacifists, who natu-
rally would have their beans knocked
on rather than raise a bean for Uncle
sam--and the Mayors Committee Of
Women on National Defence has made
il the first unit to be established In the
plan OF having settlements OF young
women in tents or farmhouses who
shall go out working for farmers by
the day or hour.
Wealthy residents OF westchester
county, headed by Mrs c. w. Short,
have formed committee to back the
farm and have even induced some Of
those conservative folk, the farmers, to
join. With such support the fifty
farmerettes, attired in blue overalls,
gingham shirts and peanut straw hats,
90 forth each morn. boasting aloud of
the number OF pockets on their hips
and elsewhere. to till the ground Of
neighboring estates at fixed stipend
per hour.
They work eight hours a day and
they ride in nifty little hivvers, these
fortunate farmerettes. to and from
their jobs. And as a load OF them
came dashlng In from Gouverneur
Morris's place the afternoon was
there, telling each other that they
must hurry and get dressed for the
dinner party they were invited to,
saw one OF the few males left in that
region, a farm laborer, plodding along
to his humble home on foot, pause and
cast upon them an inscrutable look. ]
do little suffrage canvassing now and
then and meeting him inquired II he
was going to vote "Yes" in the suffrage
referendum next November.
An All Feminine Enterprise.
Might as WELL" he said resignedly.
and plodded on.
The lush pastures Of the Women's
Agricultural Farm are tenanted by a
naughty blond Alderney lady who.
though her horns are drawn, has the
aspect OF militant suffragette. and
she is tended, groomed and MIXED by
a lady in overalls. Miss Catherine
Parks of Boston. Milkmaid Catherine
tod me the cowery was soon to be
augmented by four more animals, all
exclusively feminine. Even the poul-
try yard Is a harem without a sign OF
a sultan.
When the chickens arrived, a gift
from Mrs. Seth Low, who Is so devoted
to the place that she gave her daugh-
ter for fArmerette. was in the gar
den watching a squad OF overalled girls
attending TO the first duty Of farmer
cites, that of posing for the movies.
Suddenly above the sound OF the turn
Ing crank and the yaps Of the camera
man-"Hoe. ladies, hoe! More action!
That's right, good stun, keep going!"
and the protestations OF Instructress
Dexter that that picture wouldn't be
true to life because those beans weren't
big enough TO be hoed, any audience
that knew a thing about farming
would see that those beans shouldn't
be hoed for three days yet and besides
garden workers never punched to-
gether like that. and wouldn't the
movie men please go away and let the
business for which she and her pupils
were there proceed?-well. above all
this cheerful hubbub was heard a loud
staccato cackling as of chickens not
entirely in harmony with their sur
roundings.
Mrs. Lows hens have comel" cried
Chaperon Ogilvie, Instructress Dexter
and the farmerettes, and with one ac-
cord they made for the sanitary chicken
house, leaving the camera registering