1921.] 



Women's Institutes. 



941 



further help. In this connection attention may be called to the 

 Keport of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider the Employ- 

 ment of Women in Agriculture in England and Wales, which 

 was completed at the end of last year.* On page 109 of that 

 Report the Committee makes certain recommendations with 

 regard to the education of women in agriculture. The following 

 may be quoted : — 



(1) That the curriculum of Farm Institutes should provide special 

 domestic-economy classes dealing mainly with labour-saving methods 

 and the use and preservation of home-grown produce ; and that, in 

 those areas where the system of domestic farm servants exists, the 

 Farm Institutes should organise local demonstration classes and 

 simple trials on the above subjects. 



(2) That a number of scholarships for the best of the farm servants 

 themselves should be established at the Farm Institutes for the 

 counties in which farm servants are numerous. 



(3) That all measures for the simplification and acceleration of methods 

 of working in the home and byres should be considered by those 

 responsible for agricultural education and manual training in the 

 local areas. 



(4) That Women's Institutes should develop as fully as possible the 

 experiments they have begun in organising demonstrations in labour- 

 saving methods and in the various branches of household economy ; 

 and that local Education Authorities should give them every facility 

 for classes in connection with these subjects. 



(5) That Women's Institutes should endeavour to extend their organisa- 

 tion as widely as possible s.mongst wives of farmers and small 

 holders and amongst farm servants. 



(6) That demonstration centres should be established in market-gardening 

 districts in which smallholders are numerous ; and that instruction 

 in all kinds of skilled work in connection with fruit be provided for 

 women. 



It would be of great assistance if Women's Institutes would use 

 their influence to secure the carrying out of these recommenda- 

 tions, where no attempt has yet been made to do so. 



In the directions indicated above there is considerable scope 

 for very helpful work by Women's Institutes in furthering the 

 interests of agricultural education. There are, however, other 

 directions in which we may work together more closely. 



The Ministry is represented on the Executive Committee of 

 the Federation by Dame Meriel Talbot, who is always willing 

 to bring before the Ministry any suggestions which may aid the 

 movement and which it is within the Ministry's province to 

 adopt. 



* See this Journal, February, 1920, p. 1123. 



D 



