Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28

ton to this source OF help for tho
coming season.
'The question Of housing the women
who go to work on the farms has re-
solved itself through the camp unit
system" Mrs. Mccormick said. The
essence Of the unit plan IL that the
woman workers live in a community
under captain or supervisor, with q
system of cooperative housekeeping,
and they GO out from this center in
squads to work on neighboring farms
o rtruck gardens.
house unused and loaned for the pur-
pose, a barn temporarily fitted up, a.
schoolhouse or tents. Camp units as
planned for the coming season WIN
range from ten TO .wen.y si ,,,i,,,' serva
also as supervisor Of work. Each camp
will have a garden which will PROVIDE
for the camp table as well as serve as
training school for some branches OF
agriculture.
=
Mrs. Mccormick stated that so far exa'
perimentation along this line has been
successful in this country, and pointed
to the work done on several farms and
estates in the east She called attention
to the camp in Bedford. N. Y, inaugu-
rated under the control of a local ad-
visory board with affiliation with the
committee on agriculture of the mayors
committee on national defense of New
York city. The camp numbered about
40 young women and was known Hs
the Mount Kisco unit. The majority o.
the girls were college graduates ana
undergraduates. Girls from the trades
came next in point Of numbers. with q
few teachers and clerks who had chosen
to spend their vacation as farmerettes.
When the camp opened the trade girls
a i.
girls SIS q month. all receiving board.
The farmers paid the camp So a day, or
25 cents an hour for shorter periods, for
the girls work. This charge WAS made
on a basis Of what was regarded as tho
normal wage for men in this regiol-
Ninety-nine employers were served. :.
mainly farmers.
This camp opened too late for plow-
ing to be attempted. but practically all
other forms of agricultural work were
done. Planting, wedding, transplant i.
ing, thinning Of fruit, hoefng Of corn
and potatoes, haying in all it's branches.
and the harvesting Of rye. corn. peaches
and apples were handled by the girls
In all classes of work the girls proved
themselves successful. and the unani- "
nous verdict Of the farmers was that.
while less strong than men, the women a
made up for this by conscientiousness
and quickness In this neighborhood 1t
is expected that there will be greatly
increased demand for woman farm Ia ,
Dor during the coming season.
Mrs. Mccormick spoke with keen in
terest on the subject of the dehydrating
of farm and garden produce as means
of conserving 1t. This is not alone be- "
cause It Is about one-third as expensive
as canning, but because of the enor>
nous saving in transportation: only =
the food value IL shipped: a single car
load Of dehydrated tomatoes equals the
food content of eleven carloads OF !,
tomatoes In their ordinary state. .
Il have personally tried those dehyS
drafted vegetables, prepared In my own
kitchen" she said; t'they are good, nus
tritious food with . flavor distinctly
their own. II properly prepared. they /,
are in many cases practically indis,
from so-called fresh vege-
tables. A food crisis 10 here and we
must make up our minds to meet It.
Germany has thousand dehydratin9
plants throughout the empire; we must ),
start the industry in earnest here"