Eight Hours a Day on the Vassar Farm 
Eight hours a day for eight weeks of the past summer, twelve 
Vassar girls worked on the Vassar College farm. 
In the spring came a call from the Government for more farm 
produce to meet the war demand. More produce meant more farm 
labor. 
Men were enlisting and being drafted into the army. Where were 
even the regular farm hands coming from? Those twelve girls 
answered the question in part. 
Here was a college farm of 740 acres. Extra men were needed 
in the summer season. Why not try girls instead? College girls? 
Why not! 
Commissioner John H. Finley of New York State made the sug- 
gestion. It was approved by President H, N. MacCracken of Vassar 
College and authorized by the board of trustees with one provision: 
The scheme must be made a business proposition. It must show 
resiilts in dollars and cents. 
It was decided that twelve was a convenient number to handle. 
Could twelve girls willing to forego their summer vacation be found? 
Thirty-three volunteered immediately. Out of these the twelve were 
chosen largely on a basis of good health. 
Room and meals were provided in the main dormitory at a mini- 
mum cost of $5.50 a week. Their wages were i']}4 cents an hour. 
The following letter, written by Superintendent Louis P. Gillespie 
of Vassar College to Miss Alice M. Campbell, student manager of the 
Farm Unit, speaks for itself: 
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
September 22, 1917. 
My dear Miss Campbell: I want to tell you of the wonderful 
success we have had this year in the way of bumper crops in the farm 
and garden. 
Outside of those connected with the college, there are not many 
who know to what extent the operations of our farms are conducted. 
Few are aware that we have a tested herd of 180 head of thoroughbred 
and grade Holstein cattle, that supplies the college milk and cream 
each year; 350 pure bred barred and white Plymouth Rock chickens; 
130 pigs, and 17 horses. 
A greater part of the feed for all these, as well as sufi6cient white 
and yellow corn for meal, for bread, pastry, etc., has been produced 
on our farms in addition to 4,000 bushels of potatoes, 600 bushels of 
tomatoes, 4 acres of asparagus, and great quantities of sweet corn, 
celery, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, 
salsify, okra, soy beans. 
