Evening star., 1943-04-25
Bv Rebecca Dial.

United States, here we come, Americas
land army Of women, armed with hoe
and rake, milking pail, sprayer and
pruning shears.
The numbers do not roll up into the
figures Of our other armed forces, but
every movement has to have begin
ming, and that there are even sporadic
groups in training here and there seems
significant.
Inspired by the example of their sis
ters in England, American women are
beginning to prepare themselves for
part in the national emergency of food
production and farming in general.
That many women have passed the stage
of mere chatter about donning overals
is evidenced by the number already at
work on farms in the Northwest Middle
West and in some OF the Northeastern
States. Others are taking preparatory
courses.
A class has just graduated in the
three weeks course offered by Maryland
University's extension service in the
COllGSG Ol dSI ll1lOCA eAAC I'LL
rection of Dr. T. B. Symons. Co-operat-
ing with the university faculty and ex-
tension workers in this new development
are farm security agents and land army
committee members Of American Wom-
en- Volunteer Services. The pupils were
recruited from all walks of life, from
Vermont to Southern Virginia, and one
young woman from England. However,
the majority of them are from Wash
ington or the vicinity.
Among the group are Eastern Shore
women, for the first time becoming &C
quainted with the operation OF their
estates; farmers wives who wish to fill
the gap OF their husbands going into
mere arduous defense work or active
service; teachers, stenographers, city
housewives with yen for the soil, rang
ing In age from teen-age girls still in
school to women well on'-for the most
part fired with patriotic desire to do
battle for Uncle Sam.
Variety in Farming.
The glamour seekers-and no doubt
there are some under the impression
that farm life is romantic round of
rosy dawns and glowing sunsets-will
soon be eliminated. In fact some have
already fallen by the waySide, unable
to survive the university course, which
included practice as we'll as theory in
about everything one would have to do
on farm, from home management to
stock raising; just taste, to be sure,
but enough to let the gals see what it
Is like
There's variety enough, too for each
to discover her particular leaning-some
toward poultry raising, some for fruit
growing, some for honest to- goodness
field work with tractor, double discs
and harroWs, some for lighter garden
ing and some finding that an innate
love for animals leads them into the
sheepfold or the dairy barn.
And those of you who enjoy your milk
out Of bottle should see what goes
on there. You will find out many
things, as, for instance, that the cows
monday morning blues" is a different
complaint from that of humans and has
nothing to do with a Monday hangover.
Mastering the art of proper hand mo-
ton in milking and of getting the milk
into the pail isn't all there is to it, not
by long measure If you think so,
just come down to Maryland University
and help give the COW its bath, wiring
out its tail and hang it on the line.
Also If you would like to see Marys
little lamb shedding its winter coat of
wool, you could lend a hand in the
shearing Yes, the girls are learning at
least the first steps in these and other
farm activities
This army will not have armed forces