88 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



given equal opportunities witli our sons at the State Ajjricultural College, was 

 lost. The reformatory for our criminal girls is quite right. I helped to cir- 

 culate the jietition, and found our tax-payers prompt and willing to do as much 

 for criminal girls as had been done for the same unfortunate class of boys. 

 The justice of this was cheerfully conceded, and I am quite sure if our sensi- 

 ble tax-payers were brought face to face with this other i^roposition, they would 

 not hesitate to do as much for our intelligent, self-respecting daughters as 

 they have for the criminal class, and fit up for them a place for culture and 

 leariiing at the State's expense quite as liberally as they liave provided for the 

 honorable sons. There is perhaps at first a hesitation on the part of some 

 about sending our daughters with our sons to an agricultural college. It is no 

 unusual circumstance to find boys and girls associated in agricultural labors. 

 Why not be associated in the studies that pertain to those labors? The State 

 of Iowa has led us in this line of education, and the young ladies have practi- 

 cal lessons in all that pertains to household economy and work, bread-making, 

 cooking of meats, laundrying and such like, besides the studies of the course. 

 Let us as wise citizens give support to and urge on this plan of appropriating 

 from our State Treasury for the education of our daughters. We commend 

 the noble woman who presides at the White House in Washington, and believe 

 she does credit to the nation. Our good sense teaches us that although she 

 might be a woman of honor, and possessed of the best of purposes to do well, 

 still lacking culture and education she would make but a sorry and bungling 

 pass before the world. If the woman needs years of preparatory experience 

 before she can well attend to the duties of this white house for a term of four 

 years, how can we deny to women who must preside for a lifetime in the white 

 houses of our State and county some years of study and opportunity to become 

 fitted for such a place of trust? Do you begin to count the cost? You are 

 very rich if you can meet some expenses that we know of. Provide the place 

 for learning, give your daughter $150 or $200 per year, and see how well she 

 will make it serve her. You will perhaps be encouraged, too, when you 

 remember that the daughter will cheerfully Avork for her board, do her own 

 washing and ironing, and make and keep most of her clothing in repair. The 

 boys are very few who mend their own clothes. 



I fear I may be trespassing upon your valuable time, but ask your attention 

 for a few moments more. Polly has become anxious about a kettle that does 

 not boil, and begs your consideration of its helpless case. It stands with very 

 long, old fashioned legs, upon a very thick griddle. The impatience of those 

 who wait, not for breakfast only, but for all the food that should come into 

 their lives, and prepare them for the duties and privileges of these urgent days 

 is beginning to be felt. Money is invested, fuel supplied, much valuable time 

 and strength employed, still labor is belated and the kettle does not boil. The 

 urgent spring day of our county history is upon us. Polly has patiently waited 

 hoping all would be well, but her anxiety grows as the time goes by. I refer 

 to the consumption of tobacco and drink. 



Sheldon often coniplains and judges that his prosperity is one-armed and 

 lame in both feet. Give Polly five or ten cents every time Sheldon takes a 

 smoke, or a chew, or a drink with a friend ; suffer her to lift the griddle and 

 add it to the fire, and he will be convinced that his prosperity has lost its last 

 arm and has no feet at all. Polly, however, is too wise for this; she knows 

 too well that the milk-pans are failing, and the brown towels giving out. She 

 sees too distinctly the relation of dimes to the thousand home needs. Polly is 

 beginning to realize deeply that the smoke is continually going up from this 



