WOMEN AND THE FARM

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1934, Page 8

WOMEN AND THE FARM

A NEW ZEALAND SKETCH

HAVE TO ADAPT YOURSELF

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, February 2. In the "Empire Beview" for January is a bright little sketch on New Zealand farm life from the women's point of view. The writer is Mrs. D. E. Donald, who in her contribution admits her origin as Edinburgh. Busy? The writer answers the question: .... : . . ' • You see, it is a January day in this fair country, and the sun breaking through the grey mists'of morning betokens another haymaking day. Already the 'men are -milking in the sheds; I hear the drone of the milking machine engines. from the cowshed as I pass into the garden to glean some ripe raspberies ere the birds devour them all. Afterwards there are hens to feed, butter to churn, breakfast to prepare, lunches to put up—all before 8.30 breakfast. ...

Thereafter, there is the baking and brewing in a very literal sense, for alfresco meals mean hungry appetites, *ad on these hot days the calls for .Drink —oh!" are very insistent. Then • the housework, and, as it is January fruit and more fruit to be dealt with. A rest at midday is welcome—-while ■the children are: sleeping—and ■ then, perhaps acceding to the pleadings for a picnic to the hay paddock, we pack a basket and set off through the broiling afternoon sun, each child hugging its towel and bathing togs. Mother also has an anticipatory eye on the river and the swim will compensate for: the hot walk. All New Zealanders love the water. •"■-. - ■■' "EASIER TEUVN AT HOME." Housework, the writer admits, is infinitely easier, than at Home. Electricity is cheap and widespread, and laboursaving devices are common in the average home. "Washing-day is not the same bugbear; even in winter there are rarely two consecutive days when" drying- is impossible. Besides, for long spells, .wearing apparel is reduced tothe minimum. The wooden one-storey house is a much easier problem to tackle than similar-sized houses at Hbme- But notwithstanding these advantages, Mrs.n'Ear.merr does not need to look roundifor.,Cwork. ...■.-.' ; The/ .writeeigoe^oni-to refer to the •^Mrnb'ori^ty?ts(i':;-Jyvitfi;--;; 'their amazing tariety tff'cakesyand'bf the faneywofk She.says':\ "-: .y "■".;'.' .. "■.■;■. i: Embroidery everywhere — and I thought I was marvellous when I achieved a'mediocre edging round Vpetticoat! And/the gardens—riots of colour! And the ;|jantries^foreh6usesr ;> of■'" jams, pickles, saueesr,-preserved:'-fruits, and vegetablesK However, -adaptation is the secret of mosfij;successes; and the-first autumn' seasonv.ia 'this;; lavishlyfiieh country,- when! £ helped fillltbjielceW with,; plums and peaches, made'-me;"pnll my so^ up, forvmy gooa.ScotciSibloqd could not abide; seeing good;fruit-go-ing to, the—rpigsl and now my pantry also -boasts these bottled fruits. .vi'S';;-" .:.". ■■^■OAAJSCE VISITORS. :j:-?0i: Youi have ;to : adap£:;yourself and learn to expect|t%^ttaexpeited, fee i% a visitor: in.; the &f lerpbo'n. (thert; is =.4<>;<?erempny in callingviamoiicst friends 1£ S^i^nnfcrv) or ain^^thguakel--sPhese":Ma'B6s? are frequiifetn^Smild form, and nobody- thinks muck-about them—they com© without warning, and are over again in a moment. At the •same time; after experiencing one of the major recently, one's heart cannot help losing a'beat or two ■when the ground fcegins to quiver. : Chance-visitors are very chance on a farm. My husband will probably bring, in for lunch an agent who has called, .and that sometimes when you are wondering already how you can divide a small portion: amongst your, family. Or the minister will take you in his stride during his long parochial round; or .you will have a drover in for breakfast, or friends from the city dropping in for the day. However, all these you welcome, for even in these days of radio and rural delivery' (mail and papers every day, even, well out in the backblocks), when you live alone on,a farm you -welcome little bits of local news and gossip. Swaggers (what we call the tramps at Home) were; up till recent times, rare visitors, and of a different type, generally, from the professional ■ beggar in the Old Country; you never, never, see women and children on the road here. SHOPS. Picnics and the jaunts to town are mentioned, and the writer says: And not least of the jaunts, at any rate from a -woman's point of view, is the trip to the city, r mention this, for I know that in the minds of many -women at Home who do not know the Dominions, there exists the impression that our shops do not bear comparison with those of the big towns at Home. -' But this is not so. Any of the big departmental stores in Auckland," to mention only one city of New Zealand, can vie with, if not give points to, many of the big businesses overseas. They aro a veritable joy to the eyes of a woman —it is, unfortunately, the prices wherein lies the difference—and difficulty!