The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-10
We Will Have to Follow Ex-
ample Set by English
and Canadians.
PROVE THEIR ABILITY
Summary Test of Last Sum-
mer Shows Them Phys
ically Equal to Task.

Should this war continue for some
time into the future we may expect to
see thousands OF women doing regular
mems work on farms in this country,
is the statement OF T.. l.. Currier of
Eozeman. who is federal farm help
agent for Montana. I'VE have no rea-
son to suppose that what has happened
in England and Canada will not take
place In this country. At the present
time the "Womcn's Land Army" of
Great britain has over $4,000 members.
These women have been used for all
kinds Of farm work ana in the major
ity Of cases have made good. We have
lad some experience with women farm
crs in this country during the past
year.
College Girls Try II.
Vassar college has a farm Of 7i0
acres. Last year partly because male
help was hard to secure and partly be-
cause they wished to give the plan n
trial. II OF the young women students
were engaged to work on this farm
during the summer. Out Of Difference
to the opinion Of men who We're also
employed, the girls received 17.5 cents
per hour. while the men received 20
cents. These women did every kind Of
work satisfactorily. including such jobs
as blowing, narrowing. planting, culti-
waiting, moving, raking. pitching hay,
cutting grain. shocking. fixing fence.
milking. etc. At the end Of the season
the men admitted that the women
should have received the same pay per
hour as they did.
Womsn's Farm Camp.
Another notable example OF the sue
cessful use of women for farm work
took place at Mount Kisco. New York.
A womens agricultural camp was es-
tablished at this point with I3 girls in
attendance. These girls were given
preliminary training in farm operations
and later hired out to the farmers in
the vicinity. They were used for all
kinds of farm work and in the ma
jority of cases they more than made
good. Farmers at the end of the sea-
son expressed great satisfaction with
the service which the girls had rem
dered. 1t was the unanimous opinion
that what the girls lacked in physical
strength they more than made up for
in willingness. conseeintiousness and
auickness to learn.
As far as the farm labor situation in
general is concerned one main fact
stands out above all others. and that is
this Farm help In the usual quanti-
ties and of the usual kind is not to be
had at the present time, nor does it
seem likely that conditions will improve
during the period of the war. We are
1 N ~ q "A u
/ duction in this country because it is
necessary To do so in order to win the
war. and the war must be won,
Organization Necessary.
The only conclusion to be drawn is
| that we will have TO secure large per-
| centage of our help from sources of
supply that ordinarily are not made use
| of. Business as usual" simply doesn't
apply in this case. The business as
usual" method OF getting farm help
was for the farmer to drive to town and
| bargain with some man on the street.
For some time these men simply have
| not been there nor does il seem likely
| that they are going To be there IN any
| thing like the necessary quantity un-
| til after this war is over. The best so
luton seems to be for us to thoroughly
| organize our boy power, orr women
| power, our group of retired farmers,
and then if worse comes to worse We
can depend upon business and profess
sional men who have had farm ex-
rcrience. 10 close MP shop and help us
| take care of the harvest.
| ,Signed) f.. l.. ClTRRIEE,
Farm Help Specialist. l.. $. Depart
! ment of Agriculture.