Farmers' Week in Agricultural College. 279 



WHAT THE WOMEN ARE DOING IN MICHIGAN AND WHAT 

 MICHIGAN IS DOING FOR HER WOMEN. 



(Miss Jennie Buell, Lecturer Michigan State Grange.) 



It was in 1895 in Michigan, that an increased 

 appropriation for farmers' institutes permitted of 

 the broadening of this work and encouraged the 

 superintendent of these institutes, Mr. K. L. Butter- 

 field, to attempt something especially for the help 

 of farm women. Realizing that the work of no 

 class of workers is so closely associated with the 

 home as is that of the farmer, it seemed but just 

 and needful that a considerable share of attention 

 and funds be given to the helping of the home side 

 Miss Buell. ^£ j.^^j.^j j.£g_ rpj^g ^^^^ ^^..^^ women's section— for 



it was decided to begin with a separate meeting for women at each 

 county institute that wished for it — was held in November of that year, 

 conducted by Mrs. Mary A. Mayo, a woman whose intimate acquaint- 

 tance with farm life and wide acquaintance over the State well fitted her 

 to introduce this feature. 



The -experiments justified continuance of the work among women. 

 Because it was a meeting for women and led by a farm woman, it ap- 

 pealed to the shy, often lonely, farm woman ; and because it was a 

 meeting filled with high ideals and noble appeals for right living, it 

 appealed to women from the towns. It tied these two classes together 

 along the lines of their aommon interests. Jt discovered to them, as 

 one little woman once said, that "about the only difference between 

 them is the matter of a few miles." Town and country women's clubs have 

 resulted in a number of instances, that meet regularly during the year, 

 and where the meetings are held only annually, they are events long 

 looked forward to. The discussions there started are frequently ex- 

 tended over months among the women of the vicinity. 



Ever since this sort of work was started, in connection with our 

 Farmers' Institutes, provision has been made for a woman speaker at 

 every county that desired to have the women's section, or congress 

 From six to eiglit or nine thousand women are thus annually reached 

 by this means. The subjects presented have from the first tended to the 

 practical, living problems that home-makers have to solve. Especially 

 have the difficult and delicate questions of child culture and training 

 been sought for by the women who attend these meetings. "Mother 

 and Daughter" has been a favorite theme, under this or similar titles. 

 Often a women's congress becomes almost a confessional in its strong. 



