WOMEN ON THE FARM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 201, 14 May 1918, Page 8

WOMEN ON THE FARM

'AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTS. i T . he ,, fol !? 1 J , " , ? is *>'uin "The Auecr,v lasittn. i- E«epiit new from New Sod.lli Wales is that the women students at Lowra have mado satisfactory progress in fatmwk. Though tb& first degree in agriculture, science nwariTM to ,i woman in Australia was won in Victoria, just locentij-, as farwie eacojrascmeiit to women; tp taso up farming pursuits is Tf* m< & Tv* V ' n ' l ~!u Jfo ther State. Possibly thero has been no demand for instruction on tho part of (he .?'« Sei tere Tet; b,,lt Iviu ll ' be met if there is? I have not forgotten tho classes at Buraiey, wliich have been going on for years, and hare turned out a number of capable women students. These, I fancy, devote their timo principally to gardening, ami I have more in mind general agriculture. In Europe, of course, vrouien have, always taken part in farm work, and to an extent which will not appeal to Australians; out since the war English women have taken esriously to tho calling; and the latest newspapers from Iho Old Cou.ntry state that they have -.-nade good. In the United States tlia .-uoverneut is spreading, and in Canaan brave settlers' wivee are filling the vacant places in the liarvest fields. One of titese. rriting recently, threw scorn upon the costumes adopted by English and American, women for, farm work, and advocated n ow.rse apron over tho ordinary clothes. She characterised bloomer 3 and overalls as bids for notoriety. If any girls in Victoria have an inclination, towards country life they need not wait foi , a lead. There are already several of their sex ■who have paved the way. for them. A single lady, who directs all the operations, and skilfully, on a large mixed farm is well known and universally rejected in the Nortn-West. Not many miles OT'ay, a farmer's wifo carried on the farm for 'her blind husband for years, -until the sons were old enough. Just lately I have heard :of two separate canes of women who are oimhnrding in the hills, and not in an amateur way. If our young ivomen are serious in dofiiring to aid the nation, hero is an outlet for their energies, without any limelight possibly; but every producer will be doing yeoman service for many years to come, and women may possibly release men from farm work for soldienn£,T!iere is no need to go to Europe for W.A.A.C. ■work. - "