The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-25
Women on Farms
Prove a Success

erette. She comes from everywher,
and has been engaged in every oc
cupation. One camp boasts concer
singer from South Dakota, a ricl
woman from Riverside Drive, a mum
Der of college girls teachers, stenog
raphers, telephone operators, and NJ
art student. Another enrolled the II
brarian from the children's depart
men of the New, York Public Library
AT the Oceanside unit on Long Ia
land half dozen States were repre-
scented.
! French and English women have
gone out to the farms, regarding
them as the first line trenches fol
home defense, and determined I'd
grow their bit. They subscribe to
the democratic spirit Of the camps
which, though they lack army discip.
line, are still animatedby self-sacri.
fice
Though no one is rejected as a re.
cruit to the army of Land Lassies, !"
as the English call them, on account
OF position or lack of position, a care.
ful standard Of selection is main.
tanned In the recruiting office of the
state Land Army. The girls live to.
gether in close companionship in the
camps; many of the younger workers
are intrusted to the care Of the sup
ervisor by their mothers. The NOR.
ale OF the unit is maintained for the
sake of the girl as we'll as for the
protection of the community where
she Is employed. This supervision
as we'll as the care given at the unit
where the farmerette is we'll housed
and fed, and where home surround.
lngs and a holiday atmosphere tenn
per the tedium Of her work, consti-
tute the difference between the meth.
DDS employed by the Land Army and
other agencies which are supplying
the farmers with short-time substi.
tute labor,
AS to the eight-hour day. Of
course it is measure Of protection
Tor the women employed in this ar
duons form Of labor. The farmerette
arrives at her job-lunch basket in
hand, via the Land Army automobile
at o'clock every morning. She
goes to work Immediately and works
till noon, when she stops for her
lunch, She puts in eight full hours
CT steady work. She does not stop
&c smoke, chew or talk politics. She
takes keen pride in her work. Az
she is striving to make a record, per-
haps she works with inordinate zeal
and extraordinary persistence.
The adap, ability of the farme ..t.e
and her s.er,ness and willingness to
make every moment of her time
count helps III the farmers mind to
neutralize IT,. effects of the eight
hour day ard little complaint is
heard about limiting the working
hours of women on the farm.
In New York State the Land Army
gets credit for saving thousands of
dollars worth of food and helping to
Increase food production. Arthur w.
Lawrence, Food Administrator of |
Westchester County, has stated that
The Bedford Unit, and other land
army camps in the county, can claim
partial credit for the increased acre.
age of the county in 1917, 1918, be.
cause the farmers would never have
increased their food crops If they
could not depend on the farmerettes
% care for and harvest them. West
chester has approximately 200 girl
arm workers in its six units. Ac-
'ording to John G. Curtis, farm man.
lger of the county there must be
vice this number next year if the
county is to keep its pact to help win
he war with food.
Mr.. Curtis believes the Land Army
las conferred an inestimable boon
IN the farmer by putting at this dis.