THE UNITED FARM WOMEN 117 



forms all those various duties vital to a self con- 

 tained home. Out of doors she takes a share of 

 the responsibility also. Here her interests merge 

 with those of the men, while in the isolation of 

 the farm, for companionship the man and the 

 woman constantly look to one another. Inside 

 and outside the work is complementary, each in 

 its own way essential to the success of the other. 



Just so in the life of the clubs, each required 

 its due share of consideration. The men had 

 organized for the avowed purpose of improving 

 the condition of agriculture. No part of agri- 

 culture was in more serious need of attention 

 than the farm home, and no one saw more 

 clearly how the home might be improved than 

 the farm woman herself. To make her ideas 

 articulate she must have a medium for discussion 

 and expression, and since the medium already 

 existed in the club, all that was necessary was to 

 'secure her attendance. 



Furthermore, all community effort had shown 

 that where women were taking an active part the 

 men showed a much more lively interest. One of 

 the great problems confronting club officers 

 everywhere was to induce the men to come out 

 to meetings. It was not so much that they were 

 not interested as, that after a hard day's work, 

 it was a real privation to leave a cosy fire and 

 family at home, and go off alone to an uncomfort- 



