The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-02-28
WHY DO WOMEN
SHUN THE FARM?

It Is q recognized fact that most
women in the west shun farm life.
Probably q very small percentage of
the women now living in town would
be willing to move to the farm. Very
few of the girls who have 1t within
their power to earn good living for
themselves in town, would even con-
slider farm life, and a majority of
the women and girls now living on
farms would be delighted II they had
an opportunity to move to town.
The reason is plan. The majority
of farm women have too much hard
work, inconvenient and often un-
comfortable homes, very little money
and practically no time for recrea-
ton or rest. Most of the town
women have comfortable homes,
more money and more leisure time
to attend parties, club meetings, and
church entertainments, or to rest
and read at home. 1t is only human
nature to avoid the hard and strenu-
GUS life. We all do 1t more or less.
Many years ago when our country
was new, men cut their grain with a
cythe, the seed was sown by hand,
the bundles we're tied by hand and
the blowing was done with small
walking plows very much inferior
to those of the present day. Inven-
tors have constantly put forth new
ideas in labor saving machinery on
the farm and today farming can
scarcely be compared with the
methods in former years. The en-
tire process of seeding and harvest
ing crops has been revolutiOnized.
The inventors have not been partial.
They have remembered the house
wife as well as the farmer and scores
of conveniences can be had to make
house work lighter. But on most
western farms you will find the
house work being done very much as
it was years ago.
Women who live on farms usually
have to carry water from a well
some distance from the house. They
have to clean and fill oil lamps daily,
carry the greater part of their own
fuel, mop yards of unfinished floors,
cook for harvest hands, do all their
family laundry and sewing, and
many of them assist in making the
living by raising chickens, making
butter for sale, raising the garden or
working in the field.
In town most of the homes are
supplied with electricity, which
lightens many features of house
work, the water is piped into the
kitchen, the floors are polished or
painted and properly, carpeted, and
many cases the laundry Is sent away1
to be done.
OF course, there are few farms |
which have modern homes. There
are q few we'll regulated farms,
where the women do not have out
door work to do. But these are |
certainly in the minority and we feel
safe in saying that very few of the
women on such farms object to lfv-
ing in the country.
One farmer recently made the re-
mark that during his frst two years
on the farm he made profit enough
to buy nearly $500 worth of farm
He has now been on the
farm nearly five years, but his wife
is doing her homework with the
same equipment that she had in the
1t is probably necessary
to buy farm machinery first, because
1t is this machinery which increases
the total farm income. But after
the machinery has been purchased
why stop? If farm can buy $500
worth Of machinery in two years 1t
will also produce enough to put
and water in the home.
Many of the farms In the eastern
and central states have modern
homes. The girls and boysson those
farms are given every advantage in
education and they have the pleas
ure Of growing up in a more pleasant
atmosphere, for 1t cannot be denied I
hat no home can be pleasant with a
tired and overworked mother. More
IF the western farms could be so
equipped. We have few important
limiting factors. Farms In the west
ire new and necessarily have to be
)ut under cultivation and improved
n other ways before very much
money can be spent on the home.
Many of the farmers have been /
'aised on immodern farms and do
lot realize the Importance OF SIT
roper home for the family. t
Some of the farmers do not seem g
o realize that it is their duty to pro-
vide adequately for the family so U
hat their happiness and health may
'e preserved. c
Farm life has many advantages n
yer city life. Farm wives have v
more personal freedom and they are p
ess affected by the opinions Of the a
eighbors. The air is purer and 8
here is contact with nature which Il
ppeals to most of US. If there are u
hildren in the family, 1t is easier to a
eep them from forming the habit of n
eing away from home. Family Il
les are more binding on the farm b
ecause the family is a unit to it. CT
elf and it is not so convenient for
very member to- go in different p
ERECTION and leave the home empty Il
i the evening as is often the case in "
own Clothes may be hung out on 1t
ne farm and the sun and frost W
lakes them whittier, In town tho n
moke and SCOT makes them blacker. "
ZONES are easier to keep clean In II
le country because of the absence 81
I smoke, II they are provided with In
le same equipment. We could go tt
q naming things that are more at p'
active in the country. but as long
! the vito and mother Is so over OF