602 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Following I give you a few excellent papers and addresses 

 delivered before the Eighth Annual Meeting of the American 

 Association of Farmers Institutes, Toronto, Ontario, June 23-26, 

 1903. 



HOW THE INSTITUTES CAN BRING THE MOST GOOD TO THE 



GIRLS. 



WOMEN AXD THEIR SHARE IX THE WORK. 



Miss Maddock: Ladies and gentlemen, I have listened with a great 

 deal of pleasure and interest to the papers and suggestions presented 

 here during the last few days, but I have been somewhat disappointed 

 that more has not been said in reference to women's work. I had hoped 

 to learn a good deal with regard to this class of work in the different 

 States in the Union, but so far as I can judge no definite women's or- 

 ganizations are in existence there. I may be speaking too strongly, yet 

 that is my impression. 



I find that in the institutes of Ontario the subject how to bring the 

 most good to girls in our institute work has been largely overlooked. 

 I find that comparatively few girls attend the meetings. When asked 

 to do so the usual reply is, "Oh. I don't want to hear anything about 

 housekeeping; I hate it." If we can not induce the young girls to attend 

 the meetings of the institute, is it not well to view this subject from 

 another standpoint? If we can not induce them to attend and be directly 

 benefited by institute work, we must consider the indirect benefit that 

 girls may receive by having the mothers become members of the in- 

 stitute. 



That women are narrow in their methods of housekeeping is, I think, 

 accepted as a fact. They have followed the methods of their mothers 

 and grandmothers, without applying new methods to new conditions, 

 until the daughters in the home have become discouraged. They have 

 said. "If this is housekeeping, we want none of it." Consequently they 

 have taken positions in factories, stores and offices — any place to get 

 away from the home. 



As I have said, it seems to be acknowledged as a fact that women are 

 narrow in regardi to their methods of housekeeping. How often do we 

 hear the remark from men, "If you want to offend a woman, tell her 

 someone else can cook a dinner or keep a house as well as she can?"' 

 Now I think such a remark is a great exaggeration. In my observation 

 I find that a very large class of women, at least in the Province of On- 

 tario, are only too glad to learn — are anxious for anything that will help 

 them in their methods o£ housework. But we must admit that there is 

 an element of truth in the remark. Before the organization of women's 

 institutes, women had no opportunity to meet with other women for the 

 purpose of discussing home methods and plans of housekeeping. It is 

 true we had church missionary societies, ladies' auxiliaries, etc.. in 

 abundance; and these have been helpful to women so far as they have 



