The Woman's Land Army of America 



How the Women of America, Like Their Sisters in Great Britain and Canada, Are Helping to Solve the Farm Labor 



Problem— War Work That Serves the Nation and Benefits the Worker 



Khaki with leggings 

 in use by Land Army. 

 (Best & Co.) 



FOR many months this nation 

 and its [European allies as 

 well, have been looking to 

 the American farmer for the 

 solution of the vital problem of food 

 production. Mr. Hoover has accu- 

 ratelydescribedthesituation in telling 

 us that we must feed not only our- 

 selves over here, but also our soldiers 

 overseas, their comrades in arms and 

 the unhappy victims of the enemy's 

 destructive malevolence in Belgium 

 and northern France; that the crops 

 of 1918 must be larger than ever be- 

 fore or we shall come face to face 

 with famine. 



Last year when the appeal for more 

 food made the farmers respond with a 

 splendidly patriotic effort, they planted more 

 crops — but«often at a financial loss, for at har- 

 vest time labor was at a 

 premium and much val- 

 uable foodstuff was wasted 

 because it could not be 

 gathered and marketed. 

 This year, in view of that 

 costly experience, and be- 

 cause there is promise of 

 an even smaller supply 

 of trained help, it is re- 

 ported that the acreage in 

 crops is eight per cent. 

 less than last year's har- 

 vested area — which did 

 not include the acres from 

 which crops were not 

 taken. Nevertheless crops 

 we must have and they 

 cannot be raised without hands to do the work. 

 Everywhere the farmer is wondering whence 

 he can replace the son 

 who has enlisted or the 

 hired man who has gone into 

 the munitions factory. The 

 condition is a serious one; a 

 preliminary census in New 

 York State alone puts thefarm 

 labor shortage at more than 

 20,000 men, and this is typi- 

 cal of theplightofotherstates. 



npO MEET this problem 

 *■ there has come about the 

 organization of the Woman's 

 Land Army of America. The 

 women of England and Can- 

 ada have been working on 

 the land with remarkable 

 success since the early days of 

 the war. England's Land Army now numbers 

 258,000 women and is regarded by the Govern- 

 ment as a valuable asset. There is no reason why 

 ourwomen should not beequally valuable,on our 

 farms. They have proved their fitness for such 

 work, not only in the agricultural colleges, but 

 also in experimental camps or units sent last 

 summer into farming sections -of New York 

 and New Jersey. These groups were entirely 

 successful, and the farmers who employed 

 them, though skeptical at first, now give 

 universal testimony of the value of the ser- 

 vice rendered. They agree that whatever the 

 women lacked in training they made up in 

 conscientious work and in speed. 



It seemed well worth while, therefore, at the 

 close of the summer, to carry on this work on 

 a larger scale, and in December, 1917, repre- 



Strong land 

 boots in this out- 

 fit. (Abraham & 

 Straus, 



An under-canvas unit that did much effective work last year at Bedford, N. Y. 



sentatives of many women's organizations 

 met in New York City and formed the 

 Advisory Council of the Woman's Land Army 

 of America, for the purpose of organizing units 

 of women for farm work and promoting the 

 use of women in agriculture generally, and 

 their training for such work. Miss Delia 

 West Marble is chairman of the Advisory 

 Council. 



THE Land Army has perfected, advocates, 

 -*■ and follows what is known as the "unit 

 system" under which women who register and 

 are found physically fit for work are sent in 

 groups including anywhere from ten to one 

 hundred, to districts where farm labor is 

 needed. Here they live in a vacant farm- 

 house or barn, a tent, camp or other inexpen- 

 sive but comfortable healthy quarters with a 

 matron or unit supervisor in charge. Here 

 they sleep, eat their breakfasts and evening 

 meals, have their lunches prepared and their 

 laundry work done. Each day they go to 

 neighboring farms (in automobiles if the dis- 

 tances require it) taking their lunches, and 

 returning to camp at night. 



The women put in an eight hour day at 

 the wage rate prevalent in the section, usually 

 $2.00 a day. This is paid to the unit, or 

 rather its supervisor, who makes the necessary 

 arrangements with the farmers, distributes 

 the workers, arranges for their transportation, 

 etc. Then the unit pays each worker a mod- 

 erate wage, perhaps #15.00 a month, the 

 balance covering the cost of her board, laun- 

 dry, part of her equipment, transportation to 

 and from farms, travelling expenses from her 

 home and the maintenance of the camp. By 

 this means units, it is found, can be made self 

 supporting. 



Last year the women did all kinds of farm 



"Molly Pitcher" 

 costume with knitted 

 hose and low shoes. 

 (John Wanamaker) 



270 



work, including plowing, dairying, 

 caring for horses, haying and fruit 

 picking. Without exception they re- 

 turned home in splendid physical con- 

 dition and with the three-ply satisfac- 

 tion of ( 1 ) having served their country 

 in a very real way, (2) having had a 

 real country vacation with all its ac- 

 companying benefits, and (3) having 

 made some money at the same time. 

 Among the most important advan- 

 tages of this system, as compared 

 with most emergency farm labor 

 plans, are these: 



First, the farmer's wife is relieved 

 of the extra work of housing and 

 feeding the additional labor. This 

 in harvest time has often attained 

 terrifying dimensions in the past. Second, the 

 farmer pays only for the actual work he receives 

 and does not have to carry the help over during 

 slack periods. Third, 

 precautions are taken 

 that the women do not 

 undertake the work un- 

 less physically fit, as 

 certified by a physician, 

 and are not permitted 

 to do more than they 

 are really able to. 

 While women will, of 

 course, vary as to the 

 type and amount of 

 work they can do, it is 

 usually possible to dis- 

 tribute them according 

 to their abilities at 

 first and to move them 

 about as their powers increase under the influ- 

 ence of regular, outdoor exercise. But the 

 range of duties in connec- 

 tion with the life and work 

 of a unit is so wide that it 

 is hardly possible for a 

 woman to waste much time 

 finding her niche of useful- 

 ness. 



ALREADY the Land 

 -^*- Army is not only en- 

 dorsed by agriculturists who 

 have studied the movement 

 and practical farmers who 

 have had experience with 

 it, but also recognized by 

 the President as the follow- 

 ing letter to Mrs. Rogers, 

 the chairman of the Execu- 

 tive Committee testifies: 



Overalls specially de- 

 signed for women gar- 

 deners. (Halle Bros. Co.) 



Smock effect with 

 puttees and straw 

 hat. (Franklin 



Simon & Co.) 



I am gratified to hear of the plan of the Woman's Land Army 

 to help increase the food supply of our country and the Allies 

 through enrolling active and patriotic young women in self- 

 sustaining groups or units to aid in cultivating crops where the 

 farmers have need of them. I trust that our farmers, like the 

 farmers of great Britain and Canada,' will avail themselves of this 

 aid to the fullest extent practicable, and that the response of our 

 loyal young women to this need, wherever it exists, will be 

 generous and complete. Cordially and sincerely yours, 



(Signed) Woodrow Wilson. 



It is now working in cooperation with the 

 Women's Committee of the Council of Na- 

 tional Defence, the U. S. Employment Service 

 of the Department of Labor, and the office of 

 Farm Management of the Department of 

 Agriculture. Recruits can obtain information 

 and registration blanks from, and farmers can 

 list their labor needs with the Army Headquar- 

 ters at 32 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The 

 practicability and efficiency of the plan are no 

 longer in question — it works! 



