NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 721 
HOW I WOULD RUN A FARM IF I WERE A MAN. 
FANNIE E, BECK, WOODBINE, IOWA. 
(Before Woodbury County Farmers' Institute.) 
This subject may seem along the line of the new woman, but neverthe- 
less, a farmer's wife has several impressions about farming that can be 
expressed in this way which would never dare to be mentioned at home. 
I honor the woman who can do more than simply keep house if the 
occasion arises. I know a woman who can harness a team, hitch it up 
properly, cut and rake hay or stalks, drive the horse to the hay fork, 
husk corn, and even run the binder, and many other kinds of farm 
work along this line when it was impossible to get a hired man at $25 or 
$30 a month and found, and you could get an excellent girl for $10 or $12 
who would not only do the house work neatly and well but would keep 
the lawn mowed and take care of 200 or 300 little incubator chickens. 
The hired help problem for the farmer is a serious one. When hired 
men don't take any interest in anything much but the care of their own 
horse or team, as the case may be, giving them as much care each morn- 
ing as your work horses get in a week, and doing as little as possible 
during the day so as to be able to do the bumming act properly in the 
evening while you do all the chores. 
W^hen a farmer is out $40 or $50 a month it is only right to expect 
some returns. Here is where the farmer's wife can not only tell how 
but can do much to help. I can not see that it in any way detracts from 
a woman's modesty to not only know hovv^ but to take the management 
of the farm in her own hands when left alone and with a family. Don't 
take the children to town, try running the farm. You will gain a stock 
of good health that v/ill last through many weeks of confining house work. 
To the wives that have to chop the wood let me say, try driving a 
team on the farm, while the husband does the chopping, and see how 
much easier. 
You may not all believe that you could go into a crowd of society 
people in town and it would be difficult to pick out the farmer's wife who 
was such a tom-boy as I have described. She probably reads as much 
and is as intelligent, as any of them. She may not be able to speak 
German or Latin, but she can tell you all about the big international 
shows, bank guaranty, anti-injunction, and a bear hunt in Mexico. 
If I were running a farm I would begin the day right by getting up 
first in the morning and building the fires, making just as little noise 
and dirt as possible. Really I think a man has more self-respect if he is 
up in time to ansv.er the first telephone call, than to have his wife answer 
it and say, I will see if John is awake yet. 
Next begin the week right by helping get the washing machine in 
place and if the water has to be pumped by hand, helping a little with 
that. Your wife will have time to get you a better dinner and will wear 
one of Samantha Allan's smiles when you come in to eat it, if the wash- 
ing is all done and the house tidied up. 
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