Home Economics at New York State College of Agriculture 1457 



We have been incorporated under the laws of the State of New York so we could 

 hold property; one of our boys who is now a prosperous lawyer attended to it for us. 

 Then we secured the services of an architect (brought up here), who gave his service. 

 We also were fortunate enough to have a lumber dealer in the community who is letting 

 us have his goods at cost. The foundation was built (26 x 60) in October, but the build- 

 ing is going on now and each carpenter hired promises one week's work free; as this 

 is their slack time several have been willing to do so. Their time is kept by the hour. 



The building has two stories: the lower floor is an audience room and stage; the second 

 floor a library, dining-room, and kitchen. 



The first Winter-Course in Home Economics. — After the reading-courses 

 and reading clubs were successfully under way, it seemed desirable to 

 develop further the work that the College could do for the women of the 



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Fig. 51. — Staff and students of the Winter-Course of 1912-1913. 



State. Winter-courses had been organized in general agriculture, horti- 

 culture, dairy industry, and poultry husbandry. Men from the farms 

 came to the College of Agriculture in order to learn the latest methods 

 in farming. Some women from the farms came to attend the same lectures, 

 but it appeared that women wanted to learn the latest methods in house- 

 keeping — to become acquainted with scientific facts as they related to 

 household tasks, rather than to study agricultural subjects. They were 

 interested in their own tasks. It was therefore arranged that a course in 

 home economics should be the next one in the organized series of winter- 

 courses. The College was not ready at that time to employ regular instruc- 

 tors, so it drew instructors from schools in the East and the West that had 

 already begun to teach subjects relating to home economics. In the winter 



