The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-05-18
ION EASY STREET"
Women "Farmerettes' Make
Money in Western Canada.
Many Are Taking Advantage OF the
Opportunity offered by the Fer
tile Land and Fine Climate.

In many parts OF Western Canada
are 10 be found women owning and
running farms for themselves, and
what is nore, making thsm pay. May
Hazlett, an English girl. who lived on
a farm In the ~Touchwood hills, In Sas-
katchewan, for the past four years,
looking after her stock aud cultlvating
her land, Is one OF these. The farm
was originally her brothers homestead
at which time Miss Hazlett was a
stenographer. Her brother was killed
while fighting with the Canadian forces
at Vimy Ridge. Neighbors advised
Miss Hazlett TO sell the farm, but she
decided that she was tired of the
eternal pounding and became a farm
erette.
Mrs. Mary j. Blackburn. a pioneer
woman farmer OF Alberta. has just
added 100 acres TO her farm near
Hardisty. Coming from Eastern Can
ada, Mrs. Blackburn homesteaded a
quarter section In 1902. she had two
Holstein heifers, a bull, and SIT In
cash. She lived In a tent the first
summer and In a sod shack In the
winter. Her first crop put her. as
she tells the story. ION Easy street"
In ten years she had a herd OF 60
pure-bred Holstein cattle and was OPP
Grating a prosperous dairy. A fine
residence has supplanted the sod hut.
II MIXED my cows. raised my cattle,
cut hay and stacked II all by myself
said Mrs. Blackburn. Il started on
bare prairie with no money. and made
good. / worked hard, but the expert
ence was wonderful"
II has generally been conceded that
farming is Il mans job. 1t has long
been considered that a woman's place
on the farm was in the house, with a
few attendant duties. looking after the
chickens and the garden. But times
are changing.
Demonstrative Of the present femi
nine initiative, there are w young
ladies farming extensively and with
good profit toe. I'm Western Canada.
Some years ago a family located u 100
acre farm In the Oak Lake district.
Manitoba. Later the father died, lcav-
ing his two daughters and aged wife a
m~ortgaged quarter section. Instead OF
selling the effects and moving Il town
t o take employment, the girls decided
TO work the place.
While the mother looked after the
household duties the daughters did the
farm work. They did the blowing. har-
rowing, seeding, haying, harvesting.
stocking. feeding and other furm oper.
atoms. Except AZ threshing time, the
getting out of wood, the help of man
was never sought. Instead OF q 100.
acre place, with horses and ten
cattle, which they started with, they
have a 1,120-acre farm, twenty-five
head Of heavy horses and nearly n hun
dred head OF cattle. mostly pure-breds.
Their farm buildings. equipment and
well-kept fields would be objects Of
pride 10 the owners In any country.
Their accomplishment has not only
been profitable but pleasant. and they
have enjoyed every home advantage.
They are two entertaining and bright
girls, and have all the feminine charm
Of ~womanhood. Their manlike occupa-
ton has not given them a masculine
character or appearance. as some OF
the older generations might Imagine.
Their gallant struggle for success sig
nifies the truth In the o~ft-repeated
maxim OF Western Canada. "A little