Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1918-09-25
THE WORK OF
THE FARMERETTE
The Women's Land Army
Aids in Increasing
Food Production


Food Production
That new type of soldier of indus
try, the farmerette, is by no means an
unimportant outcome of the exigen-
cies of war. 1t was not at all an I'M
common sight to see women engaged
in farm labor in continental Europe
in peace times, but in England and in
the United States such sight was
rare. Now, however, in England more
than 100000 women are engaged in
farm work. Many more than that
are similarly engaged in this country,
and the number will be greatly in
creased as the ranks of farm labor
ers are depleted by the sending of
men to the trenches. In the begin
ming suggestions as to the. employ
ment of women on farms were receiv-
ed with very little enthusiasm and in
many cases with open ridicule. Upon
trial, however, they have demonstrate
ed their worth. Efficiency has marked
every step taken to aid agriculture in
, this manner. The women joining the
Land Army are in most cases college
: bred, their self reliance unquestioned
! and their industry unflagging. One
= farmer, who had reluctantly agreed
/ to give the plan a tryout, engaged a
= sturdy farmerette and in the CONVEX
K sation incident to closing the contract
he joqingly remarked: 81 bet you'd be
S afraid to face COW to say nothing
+ OF milking one"
n eyes" she pluckily replied, "but il
Il my brother can face German mach
l. inc gun | reckon l ought to have
t enough courage oface cow
Another farmer had engaged fou
:, farmerettes to hoe his potatoes, which
= were choked up with weeds. He cal
y culated that it would take about tw
= days. To his intense surprise h
- found upon making an inspection tou
~ about noon of the first day that tn
" work was neatly and skilfully don
~ and not weed was in sight any
~ where He discovered that the far
merette works steadily, does not sto
as to- smoke, chew or talk politics, bu
t. takes keen pride in making recor
T. for herself and her unit.
e. Early in the war the Woman's NJ
O. tional Farm and Garden Associate
IL and the Garden Association, throug
their joint war council, launched
on national association called "The w,
IN mans Land Army of America" The
at, unit plan for women farm laborel
rt, provides groups of women consistir
ct. of anywhere from 10 to 70 women
|e- go out and camp near large farm
of group of farms and hire themselv,
de out for farm work by the day or
Is the week. Preparatory training
ID two or three weeks is required befo
we farmerette is permitted to undertal
y" work at wage, for it takes that loi
mt for worker to acquire an elemental
hes knowledge OF implements and Wo
s" and to become accustomed to t
,rv strain.
md Several experiments with the III
plan were tried last year in New Yo
the State and were found to be SUGGEST
as This year 40 camps were establish
IDS, in the state and are given part
fen credit for the increased acreage
led food crops for the farmers wo,
to never have increased their food ere
ion if they did not depend on the farm
cen cites to care for and harvest them
ong The best possible proof of the e
Gu cheney of this type of farm labor
on the fact that farmers who have gi,
ady the farmerettes a trial are book
UGH them for return engagements NJ
ZEN year. Not only are they able to h
give week, rune tractors, harvest hay &
grain, act as orchardists, fill si
feed and tend chickens, milk cow So
do every kind of unskilled and ms
kinds of skilled labor, but they
ngs tually thrive at it.
for For the first week muscles are S
eet- and sore, backs ache, hands bis
egu- and there is a decided loss of wei
week but the tonic of outdoor life, the c
mem tact with nature, the freedom f,
sent strain and anxiety, the long, Dire,
tely less sleep, soon restore them to I