182 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



labor-saving machines in a systematic way? How can we 

 expect our boys and girls to stay on the farms unless we make 

 them attractive, and rid ourselves of unnecessary drudgery? 

 The farmer too often narrows the life of his wife and children 

 by his agricultural success. The "stock" is ever uppermost in 

 his mind. He pushes in one direction at the expense of his 

 family — and frequently awakes too late to correct his mistake. 

 His children have gone to more pleasant surroundings, and his 

 wife is simply worn out. 



The district schoolhouse should be the center for this work; 

 a small room should be fitted up like a home kitchen with 

 apparatus simple and practical, such as the majority can 

 obtain. 



I fully realize that to change all this is a gigantic under- 

 taking, but we have spent millions in agricultural training, why 

 not spend an equal amount on housewifery? 



The best and most effective thing I ever did was in the 

 country districts of Canada, where I carried my utensils in a 

 hat box and used plain boards rested on boxes for tables. It 

 is not so much the utensils as it is the woman behind the 

 utensils, but all these questions must be settled by women. 

 While men and women are eternally equal they are eternally 

 different, and our wrongs cannot be righted through the eyes of 

 men, because they do not see things in our light. 



Women as a class are not progressive; men are. We are not 

 so much to blame, for we never have had the opportunity to 

 study the mechanical arts that are ever before the men. But 

 the question of domestic science in the country districts must 

 be settled. Are we to go on drudging all our lives? Are we 

 not to be taught the better ways? I hope to see the day that 

 every housewife will give up her broom and dust brush, her 

 scrubbing brush and washboard, and use the better modern 

 appliances that are inexpensive. I hope the cooking of special 

 fancy dishes will give way to simple and attractive foods; 

 company meals to be unheard of, the true hostess placing her 

 guests at the family table without change of food. I hope to 

 see the hostess as free from care during the meal as her guests. 

 I hope to see the woman without a maid learn how to serve a 

 meal in an easy, hospitable way without apology. 



