CORNELL READING-COURSE 

 FOR FARMERS' WIVES. 



Issued by the College of Agriculture, Cornell Univer- 

 sity, Ithaca, N. Y., in the months of November, 

 December, January, February and March. 



Entered at the post office at Ithaca, N. Y., as second 

 class matter, under act of Jidy, 189U- 



READING-LESSON 

 SUPPLEMENT NO. 1. 

 For Farmers' Wives. 



JANUARY, 1901. 



BY MARTHA VAN RENSSELAER. 



SAVING STEPS. 



The reception accorded to the Cornell Reading-Lessons by the 

 faVmers of the State has been most cheering to those who have liad 

 charge of the work. The general hearty response and the many 

 appreciative letters received, suggested that a course for women 

 along similar lines would be helpful. The beginning of an enter- 

 prise of this kind is always the most difficult part. In order to 

 ascertain tlie attitude of the farmers' wives of the State towards 

 such a course, the following circular letter written by L. H. Bailey 

 and J. AY. Spencer was sent out last year : 



" To THE Farmer's Wife : 



" Ever since the inauguration of our Farmers' Reading-Course, it 

 has been our plan to make it a partnership course between yon and 

 your husband. In all the vocations of life, there are none in which 

 success depends so much upon the wife as in farming, and we never 

 think of an unmarried farmer. Of a hundred widows each with a 

 family of children and a farm, we are sure a larger percentage will 

 make a success in the sin^rle-handed strng-g-le than would the same 

 mimber of widowers in the same conditions. Since you are such an 

 important factor, we do not intend that you shall be left out of our 

 plans for helping the farmer. 



" In doing this, we must ask you to help us to help you. Every 

 public speaker will tell you of the discouragements in addressing an 

 audience when his words awaken no response. If the hearers can- 

 not agree with him, he would much prefer that they talk back than 

 to go away ignoring what he has said. In our case, we want each 

 one of you to talk back, even though you feel called upon to tell us 

 we are wrong. We mean this in all seriousness, and hope that you 

 will take us at our word. 



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