The Colorado statesman., 1920-06-05


Walking 457 miles year TO get wa
Ter for her family's use is the record
Of one New Mexico woman, as revealed
by survey of farm home conditions
made not long ago by the United
States department of agriculture ana
the state extension service. In addi-
tion to carrying 81 tons of water,
which is minimum for family of SIX
TO use in year, she did all the house
work and helped with the field work
and care of the live stock. Here Is the
story she tells:
I'VE live on a farm of 500 acres To-
Gated one and a quarter miles from
small town. We have no automobile,
hut use horses and wagons as a means
of transportation 10 town or elsewhere.
We live in a six-rOom house which is
lighted by lamps and heated by stoves
have no labor-saving devices. except
a built-in kitchen cabinet or cupboard
sewing machine and washing ma
chine run by hand power.
There are six members in the fam
lily, including two children between ten
and sixteen and two under ten years
of age. During harvest, silO filling. or
thrashing we have eight extra helpers.
have no help in the house except that
of three children in carrying wood and
coal and running errands. During the
first six months of 1919 five members
of the family were III In bed total OF
twenty-three days.
Why Farmers Wives Grow Old Early.
II do the washing and ironing for
the entire family, make my own outer
garments and part of the children's
clothing, and bake all my own bread.
The water for household purposes
must be carried distance of 400 feet,
and this is one of my daily tasks as
well as the care of so chickens. The
eggs from this flock are marketed at
the nearest store and the money Is
used for general housekeeping pur-
poses.
"I help with the milking of 80 cows
and wash the milk pals and separator.
The cream is sold and used for general
housekeeping expenses. During eight
months In the year ! help with the
farm work, care for the vegetable gar
utlI anu itlD tdlc ioi tiit '''o ''''N"'
"In the summer rise at five O'Clock
and my working day ends nt 9 80 n. m.,
with no time free. In winter the day
begins at G a. m. and lasts until p. m..
with no time off. work on an aver
age of fifteen and a half hours day,
three hundred and sixty-fve days In
the year, with not even my noon hour
Free
Survey blanks wer filed out by PA
New Mexico farm women. and about
one-half of them reported water
brought by hand from a distance of
300 to 400 feet. The average was AZ
feet. In over 60 per cent OF ,hs cases
the housewives did the carrying.
One gallon of water with bucket
weighs at least S1s pounds. One wom-
an who lived on a farm and carried
water for a family of five, which sta
t1stics show to be the size of the aver
age American family, reports that II
takes six pals of water for the ordl-
nary day, and she has counted many
times the 16 pals required Tor the ram
ily washing. Six pals of water 800
davs in the year make 2,19O pals: 10
nails for the washing, 30 weeks in the
wear. make $50 pals, or total of 3O22
nails of water for a family of five In
wear. Taking this as the usual amount
of water. used, and the AZ feet as the
average distance carried, the distance
travelled in one year is 53 miles.
Woman Carries Water 457 Miles.
Besides travelling this distance she
must bear the weight of the water
Ordinary pals contain from 21s TO
gallons; 3,O22 pals of 21a gallons VIII
equal 1855 gallons. Using S1a pounds
which is Il low estimate, as the weight
of one gallon of water and the CON
tainer, Mrs. Average Farmer in New
Mexico carries in one year 64,2l7
nounds or 32.1 tons. This is not ALL
for the water she carries into the
bouse must all be carried out again.
So she lifts another 32.1 tons in car
ry;np II ont. which makes "a tons car
ried in year.
But That's Only One Item.
The woman who bears children ana
cares for them. their father and the
hired man, cooks for them. does the
washing. ironing and family sewing
does the housecleaning. cares for me
chickens. weeds the garden. trareiS
miles about aD ineonvenieEt Kitchen