The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-05-16
ENGLAND TO USE
WOMEN ON FARMS
Attempt, Not Only to Maintain
Agricultural Production, but
to Increase II.
PLAN TO OBTAIN VOLUNTEERS
Must Pass Examination as TO Ability
TO Endure Work-Labor Usually
Undertaken Has Been Connect.
ed With Live Stock.

Great Britain has attempted, on nc
oun of the submarine warfare, not
only to maintain her agricultural pro-
duction but to increase II. To do this
mn active campaign was undertaken
TO place women on the land. This
work Is carried on under the direct
supervision OF their national board of
agriculture. The organization IL some
what similar To that found In
county agent organization, there being
district agents, a county community
with n county organizer and local
agents In every county. The functions
of the local organizations are: first.
to secure women land workers; sec
ond. to train them; and third, to find
farms for them 10 work on. The work
OF obtaining volunteers has been car
ried on by means OF posters, personal
visits, meetings. competitions. and SO
on.
As 500 ms n woman indicates her
desire to take up work on the land.
she must submit TO n physical exami-
nation In order that the committee
may be sure that she is physically 1T
TO endure the strain of farm work. She
is also examined rs 10 her personality,
In order TO determine whether she can
get on with farm conditions.
Types Of Practice Farms.
After she has been accepted. she Is
sent TO N Of the practice farms.
These farms are Of various types. In
some instances they nre agricultural
colleges that have been turned over TO
the training In other instan-
ces, the women are gathered together
In a home and sent out to the neigh
boring farms to he trained by expert.
enced farm workers. In still other in
stances successful farmers have turn
ed their farms over to the county or
ganizations 20 be used In training wom-
en-, the women living on the farm and
participating In all operations. During
the training period the workers are
without any expense as far as their
living Is concerned, and are furnished
with a complete outfit. consisting Of
boots, clogs, leggings, b~reeches, hat,
and two pairs OF overalls.
Work Undertaken.
The most usual types OF agrlcultur-
nj labor undertaken by the workers
have been those connected with live
stock and intensive farming, such ms
growing mangel, raising calves. milk
Ing. care OF live stock, etc. The period
OF training generally lasted four weeks.
II, Mt the end Of this time, the students
.hA..nI g,,Hirlant sEiI thny ,t.arn liotal
and efforts were made to place them
on farms. However, before any OF the
women land workers were allowed to
undertake farm work. the farm was
Inspected and suitable quarters were
found for the workers. Their expert
ence seems to show that II Is imprac-
ticable to send the women nut to work
as individuals, but that they must he
kept together. As n result Of this stu
alton, usually one member of the group
becomes ma son Of the party and gem
eral chaperOn. Another. more skilled
than the rest, becomes group leader or
forewomnn. Although many OF the
workers were from the well.to-do class
es, they were compelled to accept the
prevailing wage In the community and
were required 10 do az much ms the reg
ular agricultural workers for the same
pay.
In order TO increase the demand for
women workers. and to add Interest In
this kind OF work. competitions have
been held throughout the country.
The competitors were Judged upon
their ability TO milk, XIII and dress
poultry. harness horses, hoe root-crops,
drive n harrow. spread manure, trim
a hedge, and drive a cart. Thus II Is
found that our English-speaking allies
have increased their production under
actual war conditions.