7She RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1039 
I'ait of flic Worlccrs' Qiiarlcra. ¥Uj. o24 
Women Succeed as Fruit Pickers 
A Western New York Unit Does Good Work 
N ew YORK STATE growers of .small fruits have 
(luring the last few years given juuch anxious 
f tudy to the problem of securing sufficient Iielp tlnr- 
iiig the brief harvesting period, when demands for 
labor in the fniit district are swollen in every direc¬ 
tion. With the breaking out of the present war the 
conditions became sorely acute, '.riie fruit on the 
trees would not wait for the convenience of labor, 
r.iul growers heavily croi>ped must know well in 
advance just where help in sufficient quantity will 
be available. 
In Sodus, on the OW-acrc tnu t of the Sodus Emit 
Farm, Inc., an experiment with intelligent f.-male 
lal)or was made this season during the cheny 
harvest, and so successful was the work of the 
(ollege girls that the manager of the farm, Thomas' 
MacDill, declares he will nevei' again use other than 
Aconien for the Avork of cherry-picking, and be is 
already planning for the engaging and cart; of the 
1 arvestei's for the 1919 crop. The young women, 
also, are satisti(Hl with their experience, 
and a number (>f them have already 
made ;ipi)lie;ition for membership in 
the fannei-ette unit for next Summer. 
Here, then, it seems, is the solution of 
a vexatious ]troblem. FollOAving the 
e.xample of the brothers enlisting for 
aggressive in(\-isures agaiu.st the Hun. 
the girls bec.-iiue intens(dy patriotic, 
and enlisted as faithfully in a drive 
for saving the crojis of the State. Some 
went to the berry fields, some to the 
cherry orchards. Avhile others took uii 
the exacting work of helping in tin' 
care of muck-land crop.s, including let¬ 
tuce*. C(‘lery and b(*an.s. It Avas a i‘('al 
enlistment for real service, and the 
I'inible fingers of the girls IniA-e in 
many instances drawn sharp admira¬ 
tion from husky farmers Avho in A'oars 
Ii.ist employed “real men” to carrv on 
the harvest AA’ork. The Avriter do(*s not 
recall one instance in Western Xcav 
York Avhere the girls Inive not given 
most excellent satisfaction. Instead, 
there has been a most general moA-e- 
nient to obtain tbe same helpers for 
tb.e next season. 
As the unit on the Sodns Fruit Farm. 
engag(*d in the clu'rry hai'A'cst, Avas one 
of the largest, if not the largest in 
tin* State—consisting of over 200 young 
Avomeu—I Avill go into some detail on 
the managenn'iit and .success of the 
unit. While the unit Avas recruited and 
managed by a committee of the 
Wonu'ii's Land Army, of AA’hich I\Iiss 
Clara Louise Werner of Rochester is 
chairman fur this section, the members 
of the committ(^e give much credit !<> 
Ala linger IMacDill for the fact that he 
had the first vision of the u.-^t' of col¬ 
lege Avonuni in this Avork. and was in¬ 
defatigable in his efforts to provide the 
liest possible facilities for caring for 
the AvorkeiN. 
The farm has 17.000 small tret‘s 
from Avhich the fruit is picked easily 
from loAV stepladders. Mr. AiacDill 
had contracted for the sale of the fruit in the pre¬ 
vious Winter, and he agreed to pay the .A'oung 
Avomen one emit a pound for picking. The aA’evage 
amount jiicked by each girl per day Avas around 
290 ]iounds. though many of them iiickcal .200 pounds. 
In the fiu.sh of the .season one picker m-arly reached 
('.no pounds. The railroad fare of the girls was also 
jiaid from Rochester by the managenumt. as Avell as 
their board for two days Avhich Avere spent in vest¬ 
ing and I'ecreation on the lake-shore farm Avhile 
Avaiting for the fruit on a certain block of t'ees 
fully to ripen. 
A boat-house near the lake seiwed as tin* barr-u ks 
for some of the young AVomen, Avhile the large stone 
manse and adjoining cottages housed the remaining 
members of the unit. The meals Avere arranged by 
a dietitian and codked by eight girls from j\Ie- 
chanics’ Institute. Rochester, and Avere served in 
true military fashion, the charge being .$4..AO ]i(*r 
AA'cek. The girls Avere enthusiastic in their praise 
of the accommodations, and Avere especially ideased 
AA'ith the meals, which during the ideasant Aveather 
Avere often taken out on the spacious lawn, where 
little partie.s quickly formed. 
A canteen was established under the direction of 
Airs. Hendrik Van Ingen, where during the three 
Winter Injury to Orchards 
Low Vitality a Contributing Cause 
I HAA'E noted Avith interest the different articles 
Avhich have appeared in The R. N.-Y, on winter- 
killing of apple trees. I haA'e found considera'.ile 
of this trouble in Aliddlesex County, Alassachusetts, 
although I am glad to say that the trees in this 
county have suffered much less injury than have 
those inspected in other sections. In every case to 
date I haA’e found that the mature trees aaIucIi liaAe 
been injui-ed Avere trees Avhich produced an extra 
good crop of apples last year, thus lowering their 
A’italit.A’, or else AA’cre trees Avhich for one reason or 
f iiothor Avere in a Ioav state of vitalit.A’. Many of 
these are trees which have been planted on a Ihiii. 
light soil, Avhore trees never ought to have bemi 
planted. Others aiv trees wlin.-je trindvs are iioor. 
Most of the mature ti’oos injured. hOAvever art* 
those Avhich have liecn niider-nonri.shed. 
I holicA’c that many of the mature apple trees 
Avhich luiA’e died in Middle.'te.x County Avould he alivt* 
if they had been sufficiently f(*d hist year. This 
may not apply to other .sections Avhore 
soil conditions are different. I hclicA’t* 
that more food should he .given to trees 
Avhich are iiroduciiig .good crojis than 
growers are often ajit to apply. Ry 
such practise the trees Avoiild bo left 
in a much healthier condition. Among 
the younger troi's Avliicli liave died, tin* 
inajorit.A’ a.gain appear to Iuia’c been in 
a JoAV stale of vitality due to nnder- 
feodiii.g. Avitch .grass sod. or proAious 
trunk injiiiw. One case has liccii in- 
,spoeti*d Avhere the OAvnor Avas running 
an experiment lietAA’cen sod culture and 
clean cultivation. The trees in sod 
hav<* made a much simillor .groAvth and 
Avere not injured by the past severe 
Wilder, ^'hose Avhich Ikia’c liecn culti- 
A’ati*d hav(* made a wonderful groAvth. 
hut the imijoril.A' Avero killed or ruined 
by last Wiut(‘r’s cold Aveather. Winter 
squashes Avert* .groAvn amon,g tin* trees 
last year, Avliich, Avith late cultivation, 
oneoura.gcd late groAvth. Aly observa¬ 
tions. therefore, in Aliddlesex County. 
Avith oiir conditions, lead me to belioA’e 
that Winter injury Avas serious only in 
those orchards or in tho.se trees AAhich 
for one reason or anothtd' Avere in a 
loAV state of vitality. AT.niarr ii. jexk.s. 
Aliddiosex Co., Aia.ss. Count.v Agent. 
Aveeks of the harvesting [leriod over $100 worth of 
chocolates and bonbons Avere sold, besides do dozen 
bottles of soft drinks. Ten dollars worth of post¬ 
age stamps lasted less than tAvo day.s. The girls 
did not receive their pay until the end of the three 
Aveeks, as it Avas tliought best for them not to l>o 
troubled Avith the care of it in the barracks and 
tents in Avhich they Avere quartered. They Avere 
alloAved. lioAvever, to horroAv money from the can¬ 
teen in order to Supply their needs. The record of 
picking for each of the 2(X) girls Avas entered daily 
b.v Mrs. Van Ingeii on the cards, and she had, as 
well, to keep the accounts of the canteen and the 
commissariat department for AA’hich .$1,000 AA’orth of 
supplies Avere bought. Tliis little Avoman Avas one of 
the busiest on the farm. As the girls’ accounts 
cmild not he closed up until the picking Avas ended, 
.she had the entire 200 accounts to figure up in one 
mornin.ir. ^Mrs. William E. Werner of Roclu'ster Avas 
cmiirnian of the canteen committee, and had a gen¬ 
eral oA’orsi.ght of Ihe arran.gements. Her dan.ght('r. 
Jliss Clara I.onis(* Werner, as ehairmaii of the 
eonnt.v committee of the Women's Land Army, radi¬ 
ated her enthusiasm until it initenlaled the entii'e 
unit. For the time being all made one hL.g family. 
The phonograiih on the hiAvn rallii'd a .goodly chorus 
Adieu the faA’urites came up. At 7..‘!0 each evenbig 
ihe event of the day appeared in the shape of SAvim- 
niin.g for eA’eryone in the lake. Meals Avere astonish¬ 
ingly re.gnlar, almost .savoring of military disciiilino. 
At 9 12 M. came the hi‘11 for bedtime, AvRh “liirhts 
(nit” rnn.g at 9..'50. Masculine attention Avas strictly 
taboo, and from the earnestness of the girls in their 
patriotic ciuhniA’or it Avas apjiaront that this rule 
Avould liaAc* been self-imposed anyAA’ay. 
The 8odiis Fruit Farm experiment has proved that 
yoiin.g, t’airl.v stron.g and intelligent Avomen can per¬ 
form certain hranches of farm AVork Avith satisfae- 
liou to the omidoyer and Avitli honctit to them.selves, 
both tinanciail.v and from the. point of added health 
S(;cured b.v the I'egular hours and out-of-door life. 
While it is realiz(*d that conditions at the Sodns 
farm AA’ere excetitionally good, it is believed that 
they Avill set a standard for other attenqits in the 
future. Even should the Avar end before the next 
finit season comes on, tliere is still likely to be a 
shortage of man jioAver, and the Avonieii Avill still he 
needed for such Avork as they can do. 
Wayne County, N. Y. a. ii. pulvee. 
Daylight Saving in Iowa 
T he Avriter Avoiild take .some ex¬ 
ceptions to the article “I)ayli.ght 
Saving on the Farm,” Avhich appeared 
on iiage 9.j.'5. The author is absolutely 
right Avhon he says that no other class 
of people in the country today are do¬ 
ing so ninch to h(*lp Avin the Avar as the 
farmers. The best part of it is the 
great majority of the farmers are 
Avorking their 12 and 14 hours a day 
throii.gh the rush season to produce 
fond to Aviu the Avar, and are not Avhini- 
periiig about it. From the tone of the 
article one AA’oiild infer that the Avriter 
AA’oiild be glad to give iqt farming and Avork an eight 
or nine-bour day in the shop, but I doubt it. 
It is my opinion that the .great mass of open- 
minded men Avill not want to give up the daylight- 
saving plan during the .Summer month.s, at least as 
long as the Avar lasts. I appi-eeiate the fact that if 
strictly adhered to by the farmers it Avoiild Avork 
some disadA’antages for tliein. HoAA’e\’er, to the eight 
and nine-hour day man, of Avliich there are millions, 
laising millions of dollars’ Avorth of their OAvn food 
this year Avhere none Avas rai.sed before, the extra 
lionr of sunlight in the CA’cning means everything. 
There is nothin.g in the hiAV that says farmers must 
AVork I).y the ucav plan, and liere in Iowa fOAV of them 
are doing it. There are usually tAvo clocks in tin* 
kitchen, one of them rnnuin,g old time to work b.v, 
end one neAV timi?, .so they can tell quickly Avhat the 
folks are doing down town. The fact that the heavy 
ueAVs prevent the farmer from getting at most kinds 
of farm Avork by the ucav time in the morning is the 
principal reason for using the old time. This 
causes the farmers no inconvenience; the help un¬ 
derstands it and the AVork goes on as usual. Day¬ 
light saving has been a great boon to the farmers 
throughout the great graiu-groAviug sections of the 
country Avhere help has been very scarce during the 
