Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-02-17

who want to farm? And as you look across the
states, from state college to state college, you
see the College of Massachusetts at Amherst stand
ing out, well above the rest. Here there is dor
mitory for hundred agricultural women and
registration to nearly fill the house. Here too
there is employment department for the wom-
en-, with enthusiastic director, Miss Margaret
Hamlin who finds practice work for the girls In
their summer months. Last summer she placed
40 girls in farm jobs and could have placed three
times that many Yet when Miss Hamlin began
this work about two years ago the farmers OF Mas
sachusetts had no notion Of taking the girl idea
seriously.
The average agricultural college throughout the
country has an enrolment of from one to SIX
girls annually These are the girls, who like Miss
Mosse of Kansas, simply will not be doWned. They
are going into farming if the sky falls; they have
been told by everybody how very certain they are
to fall. The dean of the college is usually the
first person to encourage them, for many OF the
state colleges see and recognize the big chances
for women in this field. If they without land
or capital they are not encouraged TO think all
will be easy sailing for under those circumstances
it is not easy sailing for man. The same rules
that apply to the who wants to be farmer,
apply also to the young woman. And she has
the added handicap that very few farmers nave
any idea of her true worth farm helper.
There are exceptions to this last rupe. Phineas
w. Sprague of Boston, who has number of fine
farms at Ram Island, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Is
SO impressed with the value of farm women that
he has seven Of them on his place. All agri-
cultural college products. Miss Lucy Taft, Mas
sachusetts woman, has charge of the diaries and
goes from farm to another directing the farm
managers in the care of their stock. On one of
the farms Miss Signe Johnson is tho herdsman
and Miss Maude Schaffer is in charge 5f the dairy
or the care of the milk. Miss Jean Hosarth grad
uate of an English horticultural school had charge
of the poultry on this farm last summer another
girl, an agricultural student, ran the Eilk truck
and there were two women gardeners.
Another enthusiastic employer of women is Ju
an Dimock of the Dimock orchards East Corinth
Vermont. Mr.. Dimock writes "Our whole scheme
of farming has been changed to utilize the trained
educated girl. We are training them for executive
positions and enargng our operations so as to
make places for them. While man-power will al
ways be necessary farm, still farm can be
specialized until women advantageously hold
practically all Of the responsible positions. We
are enthusiastic advocates of young women as
farm workers.
One agency the Womans National Farm and
Garden association is doing much, both in this
country and in England to open this big field Of
outdoor work for women. The American group
of this association has national offices at 1928
Stevens building, Chicago, and branch offices in
New York Boston and elsewhere. At these offices
an employment service is offered to the trained
who wants to be farmer and who has ability
but no financial means, % scholarships annual
~ given to girls for study at the various agricul
tural colleges. And third, but by no means the
smallest part Of this work, is marketing service
operated for the benefit of the farm woman, often
the farmers wife, who has butter and eggs, canned
goods hoIley all sorts of things for sale in small
quantity. This woman often cannot reach the
city market and has no means Of finding city GUS
toners for her small crop output. The Christ
mas market of the New England branch of the
Farm and Garden association is one of the nstt-
tutions of Boston, selling yearly thousands of dol
lars worth Of goods for the farm women of New
England. These are the products of the oId-fash-
Toned woman farmer If she may be called that,
the uncolleged woman The new farmer is OF
quite different sort; she is well educated with
all the scientific knowledge SO necessary to the
farm today. She goes onto the farm just as her
brother would go, to get the best out of her land
and to keep it right. And she markets just as
he would do, in the open markets of the world.