VOL. LVI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND,,  JUNE 15, 1901,
NO, 24
%xpKxieuc» Scpavtmcut
What Training, Education and Accomplishments
Should the Farmer's Daughter Acquire?
lst l'l'i'inimn.- Surely this question is
■ ■ne- fraught witli importance ami I would
that tliL* training, education aud accomplishments of the fanner's daughter might
lie nl' such a perfect character as to be
a criterion for all other daughters iu the
land. Why cau it uot be soV The
opportunities are so near at baud for
libundant outdoor exercise, tbe most
healthful physieial training, for which all
artificial means are but a poor substitute.
Let the mental training begin from the
cradle, when the little minds and hearts
.-ni- untarnished by any contact with the
impure. Early impressions never fade.
Teach lessons of truth, confidence and
obedience. Impress the value of good
associations, loyalty to others, the pleasures of good reading, rejecting what is uir-
lit as though it were a serpent. Throw
the influences of love aad kindness always
around tbem; tbey are potent agents accomplishing results where harsher means
would fail. Cultivate a desire and love
for the Good in all things, a reliance upon
n wise aud all-seeing God. The character
itii'_tin_ process is the first step. .Build
wisely and well and you hare a safe foundation for the noble structure of a human
being. Little minds thus trained are partially prepared, at least, for the routine
and discipline of the years iu school. Let
tin- education lie thorough, even though it
extend no further than the common
schools, but let it go much farther if circumstances will allow. A college education for our daughters is to be desired.
The- higher their education the greater
their opportunities for the future usefulness, the broader their capabilities for enjoyment. Let their accomplishments be
of their own choosing; their originality
will only lend an added charm. If it be a
taste for music, cultivate it by all means.
If it be a love for painting, encourage by a
little judicious praise now and then. Whatever the talent, do not ridicule or treat it
with indifference. Lend your help to
its cultivation. There is no reason why
llie farmer's daughter may not compare
favorably with her city cousin iu every
respect. It may mean lessons of self-
saerifiee and denial, but let it not be all
Ileum- by the devoted aud hard-working
parents. Let the daughter share these,
it will ouly strength and develop
her character, and help to perfect for
maturer years the bud just showing its
glorious promise. Mrs. S. T.
Bartholomew Co.
2d Premium.—It is the increasing de-
maud of the times tliat especial preparation for any vocation in life should lie
carefully and thoughtfully made, aud this
Is particularly true of the housekeeping and
home making to which Ihe farmer's daugh-
Ihe creation of tlie home atmosphere,
arts and sciences noue is more delightful
in- itself or rich in its compensations than
llie- creation- of the home atmosphere,
and although the ability to make a
linnie is a natural endorsement of some
fortunate beings, it is not the less a talent
which may be cultivated and which will
continually repay the time aud care devoted to its acquirement, Tin* man_ge-
ine-nt and the organization of the home
depends upon the woman, andhereducated
powers will enable her to accomplish this
more successfully ami satisfactorily when
»uch as receive an education especially
d 'aided to tit her for her pursuit.      The
Pans  Gree... s,,,.s ,|u. uc-cssily ,,r giving
his son who he intends should lie a lawyer
a special training in a law school, or the
son that is to be a doctor a special training iu a medical college; but he seldom
sees the importance of giving his daughter
upou whom the comfort, the happiness
and in a very large degree, the prosperity of some future home will rest, a
special training for her line of work. Yet
the education of the future housewife is
of the very first importance*. Her mission is to till the home with cheery comfort, refinement ami a spirit of justice that
the need of the lawyer's services will be
largely forestalled. Her cooking aud her
iiume sanitation may either prevent or
cause the very diseases the doctor is called
upon to cure. Improper food and the improper preparation of food causes thousands to drag through a miserable existence and be a constant prey for quacks.
If every girl could receive a thorough
training iu some good culinary school it
would be a blessing to farm and city as
well. Good cooks are the first need of
every home. They add to the cheer and
comfort of the home by always serving
food in its most palatable form, they promote the health of the family by always
having the food prepared in a digestible
form, and they add to the finances ef
the home by the economy of tlieir methods.
An agricultural college, with a department
in which the art of cooking, and the nutritive value of foods are thoroughly and
scientifically taught, should lie within the
reach of every farmers' daughter. Here
she may learn the art of butter-making and
many other essential things, without the
knowledge of which she could never make
a good farmer's wife. The farmer's wife
cannot be a mere parasite. She must
manage well her part of the business or
the firm will fail. No home is complete'
without music. Every farmer's daughter
should learn to sing and to play upon at
least oue musical instrument. She should
learn drawing and fancy work so that she
may develop a taste for the beautiful. She
should cultivate a taste for good literature. She has health aud freshness of
thought. Give her a culture that will
banish her timidity and she will be queen
of American- girls. Mrs. O. E. C.
Jackson Co.
3d Premium.—In answer to this question
I should say, first, all the education the
farmer can give her or that a wise father
sees she will profit by. The idea that
some seem to have is, that to have been in
school a certain number of years and
"thumbed" a certain number of books
means an- education, is certainly erroueous.
To know a few things well and be able
to put into use such knowledge is far better than to have "graduated" any number
of times anel yet know very little. I do
not like the idea of giving a farmer's
daughter an education that differs very
materially fr.cin the merchant's or banker's daughter, of in fact the sensible
daughter tst any otter business man. If
one knew tliat a farmer's daughter would
be a farmer's wife—which in these days
is n.et at all certain—I still think there
need be but little difference iu their school
life. The practical farm lessons should
and will be largely taught by "pren-pt
and example" at home. To be sure the
well grown, fully developed country girl,
who has for 10 or 18 years been rising with
the lark and retiring with the chickens,
whose nervous system has not been shattered by the hurry, bustlt- and cram of city
school, is physically and mentally able- tn
take all the education and as many of the
: mplishments As any one should have.
The Ideal education for a  fanner's daugh
ter is one that brings her out of the com-
niicii school with a thorough knowledge of
tin- common branches. By this time she
• an brew and bake, milk and churn, and
have a fairly practical working knowledge
of housework and most of the important
larm operations. Then to the district
high-school. When si > gets through here,
by ail means a year I al more if possible
"away from home to school." I do not
care what a girl's future may be, she
needs to be drilled in domestic economy,
and with the door of Purdue always open
to her send her there for a year of "all
around" work. Keep in close touch with
her school life and instructors, and at the
close of the year if she has developed
any striking characteristics give her a
special education by all means. If she
has not, never fear that she wasted her
time and education if she marries a
farmer. The greatest ueed of the world
to-day is for healthy, happy, educated
home makers, wives and mothers, and with
the proper education and accomplishments
our farmer's daughters might almost have
a monopoly. We are and have been training girls for every walk iu life but this
one, until it would seem that we have
thought anyone who was uot fit for anything else sheel-'d  !>1-11TV. Mrs.   S.
Washington Oo.
The following article by Prof. Latta, of
Purdue University, is a special contribu-
tion to this week's experience department.
In- this country and this age, woman is
coming to her true estate. She has not
yet qnite fully attained unto it, but she
is making rapid progress in this directicen.
The conditions favorable to the evolution
of the true woman are becoming more and
more favorable. Woman is more highly
esteemed to-day than ever before in the
history of the world. This fact alone
makes far more easy her advance in the
path of true progress. The true, fully developed woman is not, however, a product
of environment. She must be, herself, the
most potent factor in her own development. In her efforts for advancement and
improvement, she should constantly bear in
mind the importance of a thoroughly practical, general and technical education which
will enlarge her powers, increase her capacity for happiness aud enable her to
be more useful to herself aud others. The
question "What training, education and
accomplishments should the farmer's
daughter acquire?" proposed for discussion
in the "Experience Department" of the
Indiana Farmer is therefore most timely
and should call out the views of many
farmers' wives aud daughters. The undersigned begs to submit his brief contribution to this subject, which he trusts will
not exceed the limit of space before him.
1. The farmer's daughter should have
the benefit of the wholesome example and
training of an intelligent, practical, common-sense, christian mother. This is exceedingly important, as the home training
and especially the mother's example will
do much to mold the early ideals of ber
daughters and prepare them to make the'
most of training which the schools and colleges afford.
2. The farmer's daughters should have
all the advantages of the schools possessed
by her brother. It is jnst as important
sin- should have the same number of years
schooling, stand high in her classes, acquire habits of independent thought and
action, and develop the spirit of self-reliance as it is for her brother.
.".. Sin- should earnestly prepare herself
for, and resolutely seek, the higher c-dii-
rational training afforded by a good college.     The college training should include*
1. Thoese general subjects which
broaden and discipline lhe mind, elevate
the ideals aud strengthen the purpose to
be a true womanly woman and a power
for good iu tin- community.
2. Such technical subjects as will best
tit woman for her highest sphere as a
home-maker.
Uutil quite recently the opportunity for
such technical training has not been afforded. Within a few years, however, courses
of study for women, which include both
the geueral and technical training, have
been established in connection with several
of the Agricultural Colleges. A good beginning in this line has been made at
Purdue University and the women of Indiana should not rest content until a
woman's course adapted to the needs of
young women of both town and country,
is fully established at Purdue. The interest taken by the ladies of both city and
country in the lectures on "The
home," "Home-making," "House-keeping,"
"Foods," etc., delivered last *!nter at
Purdue by Mrs. Kodzie, clearly demonstrates that the women are eager for this
kind of instruction. It is argued by some
that this training should be afforded by the
mother. The mother can do much in this
Hoc bnt cannot m the irorl  of '!.•
school-. It is the peculiar function of the
college to give, in connection with a general education, a training iu the underlying
principles of home-making, and thus lift
up the home-maker to her own dignified
and prominent plaee among women.
4. In connection with a geueral and
technical training, the young woman
should receive such training iu music, art
.and social culture as will fit her to be,
not only the resourceful mistress of the
home, but its reigning queen as well.
Prof. W. C. Latta.
Purdue University.
Many additional contributions on this
subject has been received, but lack of
space makes it impossible to publish even
short extracts from them at this time. It
may be that we can publish some of them
in the Ladies' Department in future numbers of the   Farmer.
Premiums of $1, 75 cents aud 50 cents
are given for the first, second and third
best articles for the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should be
sent direct to the Indiana Farmer Company and should reach us one week before
date of publication.
Topics for discussion in future numbers
of the Farmer are as follows:
No. 270, June 22^—Give experience with
field peas for hogs.
No. 277, .Tun* 29.—Tell about the summer care of horses.
"You   gay   you   an-   from   lhe	
newspaper?" he asked of his visitor.
"Vis,   sir,"   came  Ihe   answer.
"Ami the owner pays you a salary to
get news and edit it'.'" was the next congressional question.
"Yes. sir."
"Well, then go ahead and edit it. They
don't  pay me anything for such work."
Mr. Cannon is authority for the state
inent that President McKinley smiled
when he heard this story.
A building at McKeesport, Fa., used until a short time ago as a pest house, was
iaided the other day by the police, who
tccuiul ;ln- place full of negroes, with a
lively poker game .ind a "speak-easy" in
full blast. Smallpox had evijer.t_' no
terrors. _^»
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