THE GENESEE FARMER. 



809 



their cbildren look fresh and healthy ? If they tlo, 

 they should take them out into the open air, and set 

 them at some light work, or they will never be healthy. 

 Parents, let your children's hands get somewhat stiff, 

 80 that they may know how your hands feel at times; 

 and also have them help you milk v.henever it is 

 necessary, and do anything else that you think is best 

 for them to do, that they may love and respect you. 

 Jamestoum, A*. 1'. A Farmer's Wife. 



YocR able correspondent, !>., of Niagara County, 

 juks for more light on this (to us dairymen, especially) 

 important subject. If we do not succeed in impart- 

 ing any light on the subject, we will at least have the 

 pleasure of expressing our views, and of correcting 

 some of the many errors into which your Michigan 

 correspondent has fallen, in his or her premium arti- 

 cle in the March number. 



The essayist confidently asserts, that "woman's 

 appropriate labor is strictly confined to the inside of 

 the farm-house. ' This false notion, which has pre- 

 vailed to a great extent in our country for the last 

 quarter of a century, is the primary cause of the 

 early decay of American women. In Europe, where 

 women perform a vast amount of the lighter kinds of 

 out-door work, they are strong, rosy and healthy, 

 with fully developed physical organizations, which 

 are the admiration of sculptors and physiologists, and 

 which contrast beautifully with our pale, sickli/, ca- 

 daveroits. wasp-like, hooped substitutes, for help- 

 meets. If our country-women desire health and 

 beauty, and to make themselves worthy of the re- 

 S])ect and admiration of mankind — a blessing to 

 (themselves, their country and the world — they must 

 imitate, to a certain extent, their Puritan gi-aud- 

 mothers, who were worthy help-meets of the men. 

 They cheerfully and sweetly bore their share of la- 

 bora and trials; they were the housewives, spinners 

 and weavers, tailors, nurses and doctors of New Eng- 

 land. They were dairy-maids and cooks, as well as 

 friends and sweethearts, in the good old primitive 

 times. The young ladies of that time were not the 

 *vwkward, timid creatures referred to by the essay- 

 ist, who are doubtless like the city belle, who in- 

 quired of her country cousin how they obtained the 

 milk — " if they took hold of the cows' tails and 

 pumped it out!" The essayist's quotations from 

 Scripture to sustain his or her false reasoning, re- 

 minds us of his sooty majesty's quotations to our Sa- 

 v'iour on the mount, and we trust will be as effectually 

 rebuked by all right-minded, industrious women. The 

 women in Scripture times not only milked the cows, 

 but tended the flocks, and some of the most eminent 

 of them made love at the wells while drawing water 

 tor their flocks. (See Genesis xxix: 11; Exodus ii: 

 16.) Our Saviour informs us that it is not only lawful, 

 but our duty, to do good on the Sabbath day; and 

 again, that the Sabbath was made for man, and not 

 man for the Sabbath. In this section, where nearly 

 every farmer keeps from ten to sixty cows, the women 

 folks (to their honor be it said) generally help milk, 

 without being asked, and consider it a sJuttne to those 

 %Fomen who refuse to maintain their right to share 

 in the labors and toils the joys and sorrows, of their 

 husbands, brothers and lovers. H. H. T. 



East Rodman, Jefferson Co., JV. Y. 



1 WAS not a little surprised to see such a question 

 {^(iposed as the one cow before me — " Whether it is 



right," &c. If the question implies that the wonaen 

 should milk the cows without the men troubling 

 themselves about it, I have nothing to say against it.; 

 but if it means the contrary, I am of a different 

 opinion. I think it is the duty of the farmer's wife, 

 or housekeeper, to see that the cows are milked, either 

 by herself or by her servants. Woman was intended 

 to be a helpmeet for man, and I do not know in what 

 belter way a farmer's wife can assist him, than by 

 taking charge of the dairy. Farmers have so many 

 things to attend to, that I think they can very well 

 dispense with milking the cows; if they have a little 

 time to spare, I think it could be better employed in 

 the garden, which is too much neglected. Perhaps 

 my views are owing to my education. In this part 

 j of the country, the women milk the cows. I was 

 brought up a farmer's daughter, acd am now a farm- 

 er's wife, and am quite content, while my husband 

 follows the plow, to attend to the milking and manage 

 the dairy. E. N. 



JYassagiiceya, C. fV. 



In a farmer's family there should be no drones ; 

 and if there is more work out of doors than in, wo- 

 men should not object to milking cows, or otherwise 

 lending a helping hand to whatever they can do. It 

 only exercises the same muscles that are required in 

 making lemon custards, or whipping Italian cream ; 

 and in no way will a young man be more impressed 

 with a love of rural life, than to see his sisters taking 

 an active part in the useful, as well as ornamental, 

 work of an orderly, pleasant, attractive home. 



East Groveland, Ohio. Cousin Alma, 



If favored with health, when man is actively en- 

 gaged in their common good, woman should be wil- 

 ling to attend to her appropriate duties. If the barn- 

 yard is properly cleaned, it will neither injure her 

 dress nor person in the least. It is no more beaeath 

 her dignity to milk, than to do the work afterward 

 attending upon it, for surely it is not more laborious. 



Ballston Centre, JV. Y. Mrs. M. C. L. 



Ladies, milk your own cows. It will improve 

 your strength, increase your cash, improve your com- 

 plexion, remove your pride, strengthen your diges- 

 tion, and hopefully relieve your consciences. 



Granville, Fa. Mrs. M. L. B, 



nVoman's sphere of action is in the domestic cir- 

 cle; there, she may be frugal and industrious, invest- 

 ing everything with cheerfulness, and dispensing hap- 

 piness on all. This makes a country home charming 

 and attractive. If the women folks are obliged to 

 milk during haying and harvesting, I think it would 

 be better for them to consider milking their duty: 

 then, perhaps, by practice, they may become fitted 

 for that capacity. But when the busy season comes 

 on, were a woman asked to leave her proper place 

 and milk the cows, could she do it without neglecting 

 her household work ? Surely, all who have experi- 

 ence know the numerous cares of a dairy. But sup- 

 pose she makes the attempt, what are the effects ? 

 She goes^out, with a fluttering heart, among a drove 

 of cows, who, perhaps, at the sight of a strange per- 

 sonage, will jnstantly present an example of perfect 

 confusion. Here is a proof — the cows show by their 

 actiom that it is no place for a woman. And in 



