THE FARMER'S WIFE VERSUS THE DAIRY COW 43 



band usually handles what little money comes into the 

 family coffers. Too often it is doled out to his wife 

 in driblets wholly insufficient for her needs. She some- 

 times is denied the spring bonnet and the spring gown, 

 so dear to every woman's heart. If her husband asks 

 her to go to church on Sunday she declines because of 

 having nothing to wear. She very often carries the 

 water from the spring. I have repeatedly seen her chop- 

 ping her own stove wood. She does the milking and 

 churning. She gathers the eggs and cares for the 

 chickens. She does practically all the work that is 

 done in the garden. If there be any flowers in the 

 yard, she plants them. If the grass be ever cut in the 

 yard, she cuts it. A ministering angel, without vaca- 

 tion and without surcease of effort, she is the typical 

 martyr! Any amenity that can be introduced into the 

 life of the farmer's wife is worthy of the consideration 

 of every person who has a real interest in agriculture. 



ISOLATION AND INSANITY. 



I need not go into the further question, which has 

 often been mo.*ed, a? to the increasing percentage of 

 insanity among farmers' wives. I have not access to 

 statistics on this most interesting theme. I can only 

 say this, that if a larger percentage of farmers' wives 

 are not insane, it is a matter of wonder. The life of 

 isolation which they lead, the continual round of mo- 

 notonous duties in which they are engaged, the lack of 

 sympathy and attention so often manifested on the 

 part of fanner husbands, are all factors which would 

 tend to derange a delicately poised mentality. 



In addition to this, the old-fashioned farmer's wife, 

 and there are thousands and hundreds of thousands of 

 them living to-day, has never had the benefit of the 



