590 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



Three-fifths of the women of Missouri live in rural homes. 

 Ninety per cent of the leading business of the cities come from 

 these homes, as do eighty-eight per cent of the ministers and 

 a like per cent of the leading educators and government officials. 

 The farmer has been much concerned about the exodus of his 

 boys to town. But a greater concern, the exodus of his girls, 

 is facing him. Compared with the comfort of present-day 

 households, the fabled palaces of ancient kings were mere hovels. 

 While much has been done in improving the conditions under 

 which farm women work, it remains for progressive farm men 

 and farm women to better conditions by providing mechanical 

 and labor-saving devices in farm homes. 



These practical inventions are the aids which are necessary 

 to place the country woman's work more nearly on par with 

 that of the city woman's. The introduction of a modern 

 heating apparatus and some kind of a sanitary water system will 

 do much to make the farm home more pleasant and healthful. 

 The cream separator, the dumb-waiter, the roller table, the 

 stove with glass doors, bread and cake mixers, the fireless 

 cooker and its logical companion, the iceless refrigerator, will 

 each lessen the steps and lighten the work of the housewife. 



Study of improved conditions on the farm have developed 

 plans for the ultimate elimination of wash day. In districts 

 having a community creamery the creamery is idle every other 

 day. It has been demonstrated that machinery for a laundry 

 can be installed and operated during the idle time so that the 

 washing can be done at the creamery at but a slight expense 

 to each farm. 



Labor has become such an important problem on the farm 

 that the gasoline engine has become the new hired man that will 

 perform such tasks as would require the service of both men 

 and teams. This engine will drive the machine to fill the silo, 

 grind the feed, saw the wood and thresh the grain. This chore 

 boy is equally accommodating to the farm woman, for it will 

 run the washing machine, the wringer, the cream separator, 

 the pump, the sewing machine or vacuum cleaner. 



While the engine is doing all these chores it drives the 

 dynamo which generates electricity and stores it in a battery 

 making a complete farm electric lighting plant, from which the 

 power can be used whenever and wherever desired. The house- 

 wife finds her life brightened and duties lightened by electric 

 lights and small motors. New uses for the power are found 



