A GIRL FARMER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 219, 4 June 1918, Page 2

A GIRL FARMER

Women farmers aro still novel enough ill Australia to excite curiosity and interest (states a writer in the Sydney "Sun"). England and Franco and the other countries nioro directly touched than ourselves by war conditions have accepted the woman farmer, with all her splendid resourcefulness, as a matter (if course. And even the English farmer's wife, who cast up her eyes in horror over tho unheard-of extravagance of the girl farm hand in the matter of clean stockings and smocks, has settled down to tho new order of things quite comfortably. Hut in New South Wales tho girl who has mado a real study of farm methods is a personage quite out of the ordinal and is blazing a trail which should lead to independence for many a woman whom the developments of tho past few years have flung; upon her own resources. : Miss Irene Bolton arrived in Sydney recently from a courso of farm-training at tho experimental college' at Cowra. Before entering the college Miss Bolton spent nine mouths at the experimental farm at Scheyvillo. near Windsor, and she comes back to tho city after an experience on the land' of over 18 months fully convinced that the opportunities for women who aro not afraid of a little hard work, and to whom open-air life and freedom appeal, aro practically, unlimited. "My particular bent is raising pigs," says Miss Bolton, "but our courso of study (practical as well m. theoretical) included dairy-farming,' ploughing, harvesting, and any branch of work associated with modern and scientific- farm methods. "Wo learned to use the header (there were several other girl students besides myself), tho reaper and binder, the mowing machine. We sowed and loaded wagons and mado hay. We learned to ride and drive, took a course in beekeeping, fruitgrowing, piggery, poultryfarming, and covered a good deal of ground in the four months over which our studies extended. "There was no pretence 1 at working on the farm," 6he adds, "and, we were always glad when bedtime came, though we were onthusiasts and entered into tho training wholo-heartedly. Each section was in charge of oho of the students, and she made a point of putting her best efforts into.her work. The training was thorough, and the quarters excellent—a tivo-story brick building with tho necessary offices attached." Miss Bolton is especially interested in pig-raising, because she believes it presents a sure road to competency. She was a city girl before tho lore of the land overtook her, with all the city girl's delight in theatres, concerts, pretty frocks, and the other joys oj youth. But sho has taken up farming as a Serious life work, and has found in it outbalancing interests and compensations. At work the girl farm students wear a craftsmanlike uniform, comprising rid-, ing broochos, and coat, with soft shirt i and tie, heavy boots and leggings, and a I harvester hat. Gum boots are worn for dairying and rough work. Mrs. W. Booth (Carterton) is visiting Wellington. Mrs. W. Wardell (Masterton) is visiting Wellington. , Many Gcrinnns have been interned for , their offensive' behaviour since tho great drive. It shows what they would bo if ; it. came to a, 'Goruiau peace.'" i A meeting of wouieu called by tho i Fcilding branch of tho Women's Na- | tionul Ilcservu wa* held in tho Parish . Hall, l?oilding, last week for the purpose i of ■' discussing ways and means of dej vcloping tho social sido of the league's . work, and of getting into.touch with the ! women belonging to men w.ho are servi ing, have gone, or aro about to go, on , active servico lot their country. l A brief ) address was given explaining their obt jects, and afterwards Mrs. Murray sang - and Mrs. Gordon Elliott played. Tho s president of the branch (Mrs. Miller) ) was ono of the hostesses of tho occasion. , A number of new members were*cnrolled 1 by tho secretary, Mrs. Pedder. i ■ A more beautiful winter's day than j yesterday (the lung's Birthday) it would - havo been hurd to imagine, and tlio final l effort made in connection with the Red i Jersey Appeal hud much in its\favour so { far as sunshine and a bracing breozo . woro concerned. Very elaborate arrange- ! mculs had been made in' regavd to the - procession, which was ono of tho features - of yesterday's "big push," and soino of i' tho effects produced indicated that much 1 hard and original thinking had. been J 'spent in treating them. Not tho least j in interest wevo the motor-cars contain' ' ing some of the tiny competitors in the - recent bnbics' voting competition—three. *• in all. The Navy League baby occupied • a car which was very effectively decorat--3 od with coloured streamers and shields 5 giving the names of tho importnnt eiil' gagemeiits in which the Navy had taken ' part; tho letter-carriers' baby was th? ' centre-piece of a car arranged with triJ coloured chains of crinkled paper, flags, ' leaves, etc., and had as a companion :i ' beautiful doll, whilo the Press Ixiby sur- ' veyed the scene from a bassinet (motor) j of daffodil and violet, tho car itself lined with white, while a yellow satin eidoi- " down quilt emphasised the idea of tho g bassinet. A laTgo teddy bear accompan* ied tho baby as well as two guardian" ' dressed as nurses. A very effective and . original note was struck by the D.I.C. with an armoured car bearing a gun, n [ sixty-milo monster, very much camouflaged, and with "gunners" (some five' or six girls) wearing camouflaged drwsrs to match. The idea was very effective. Tho km. treasurer of the Wellington Women's lied Cross Committee nckrow . ledges the following contributions:—Mir.j f Coales, 10s.; Mrs. Davidson, 2s. Bd.j Mis, . Davidson, 2s. 6d.; Miss N. Brandon, i's. > fid.; Mrs. Hoare, «Cl (is.; Mirs ,j Edmeades, 55.; Miss Baber's School, Jin 25.; Mrs. W. Nathan, i 5; Mrs. Nicholls, 2s. ,'6d.; Mrs. Tail, I 2s. 6d.; Mrs. Moo - .house, £1: Mrs. Hannen, 6s. Gd.; nr weeds Waipnpa Eoad dance, £1 ss. 9d.; Miss Sidey, 2s. Gd.3 Mr. Smith, 10s.; Mrs. L. Bli.ndell, £\: . Mrs. W. A. Kennedy. JE3; Miss G. Kirkealdio, -£ii; staff of Mental Hospital,' Porirua, £o 13s.s Mrs. Joseph, £1 ; Tin--1 kanui Red Cross Guild, £5; Mrs. Bal- ■ throp, 55.; .St. Andrew's Church Guild, Jib; Ohariu'Eod Cross Guild, J. 2 fis. 6d.; proceeds euchre party, Ohariu, M ,2e.; 1 Mrs. Ilosking, .£10; Mrs, Grecnsbide! 2s. >' Od.; Mrs. J. Myers, =£1; Mrs. Moxham, B 55.; Susie Gilford and Elorrie 7lies, .£5 • "s.; Scatoun Eed Cross-Guild, .I'S; Mrs. e Rose, 25.. Bd.; Miss Senly, .£5; Mrs. A. 1 Thomson, 2s. 6d.; Mr 6. J. Hutcheson, 3 10s. j Ohan Red Oross Society, 4.13; -| C.L.R., £1; donation, 3d.