Home Economics at New York State College of Agriculture 145 i 



We know that education has come up out of class and of privilege. 

 Not all men, let alone women, have had equal opportunities in the plans 

 of education. In the evolution of educational institutions, all persons are 

 now finding their places and are contributing their several parts to the 

 various schemes. 



The ultimate object of education by means of agriculture is to redirect 

 country life. The redirection of country life rests on two corner stones, 

 which are, improved farming and improved home-making. If it is essential 

 that the man be trained in better farming methods, it is equally essential 

 that the woman be trained in better householding methods. 



The farm and the home are the two underlying factors in the country- 

 life development. As the strength of a chain is determined by its weakest 

 link, so will the development of rural civilization be determined by the 

 weakness of the farm as an economic unit or by the weakness of the home 

 as a social unit. It follows, therefore, that the woman has equal and 

 coordinate part with the man in the redirection of rural society. Not 

 only will she be able to create a sentiment for better farming itself, but 

 it is to be expected that her best contribution will be to create a quickened 

 sentiment in respect to the home-making and householding end of country 

 life. I do not mean to restrict woman's activities, but we must recognize 

 the law of nature that certain activities are primary and others are 



secondary. 



The farm woman's outlook 



The farmer has lived on his farm; he is now acquiring a world outlook. 



The woman has lived in her house; she also is acquiring a world outlook. 



As the house has been smaller and more confining than the farm, it 

 has followed that woman's outlook has been smaller than man's. 



As the effectiveness of the farmer's outlook is conditioned on his ability 

 as a farmer, so the effectiveness of a woman's outlook is conditioned on 

 her ability as a home-maker. This is why this College of Agriculture 

 aims first to make a man a good farmer; it is equally the reason why it 

 aims first to make a woman a good housekeeper. To put the matter 

 in another phrase, as it is the first necessity that the countryman be a 

 good business man, so it is of the first importance that the country woman 

 should be domestic. I should not restrict this remark to country men 

 or country women. It is equally applicable to all other men and women. 



Whatever a woman may gain, she must never lose her domesticity. 

 Her effectiveness as a social agent depends directly on her retaining the 

 natural womanly qualities. 



Things and affairs that formerly have been in the foreground may 

 now need to be relegated to the background. We are placing new values 

 on all activities. I will mention a few of these in order that you may 



