BACK TO THE LAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1928, Page 9

BACK TO THE LAND

ENGLAND’S HEALTHY WOMEN

A revulsion of feeling from a life that comprises only the lip-stick and the jazz band is gradually sweeping the United Kingdom, says a “Daily Express” writer. One morping spent in looking over a horticultural college in Kent, a wonderful combination of farm, nursery garden, factory and school, has convinced me that the old-fashioned milkmaid type of country girl, thought a few years ago to be only the idealistic product of musical comedy, is actually returning to English rural life, but she is returning with this difference. The old type was derived from the peasant class alone, the new, is the product, of the college and the training school. “People, have no idea of the number of women agricultural workers in this country,” said Miss K. Barratt. the principal of the college, when interviewed. “Here are the official figures from a ,1928 report of the Ministry of Agriculture. “Out of 794,000 agricultural workers in England and Wales alone. 104,556 are women and girls.” “Do you notice any marked improvement in your girls’ health after they are once hero?” Miss Barratt laughed at the question.

“Why, everyone is amazed at it, including the girls themselves. They are always in the open air; they do not like being out of the open air, in fact. Their health is simply remarkable. We do not know what illness is here. The fact that we have no sanatorium speaks for itself. I have been connected with the college for 25 years, and in my experience there has never been any nee dfor one. You will not find any of the slim, ball-room type among these girls. They do not have a chance to get slim. You should see them eat! Look and see for yourself.”

I looked and saw, and was conquered. Girls in pigsties. Girls in cowsheds. Girls in greenhouses. Everyone worked with zest, and not for the benefit of the principal who showed mer round, I had already seen them just as busily engaged with no supervising eye to spur them on. Every girl, if she was not already smiling, seemed on the point of doing so. These girls are not so much the rosy-cheeked bumpkin variety. They are brown, not pink. “Do they ever use make up?” “Practically not at all. Why? Do you think they need it?” said Miss Barratt. “There was a slight tendency in that direction a little while ago, but it has passed now —not from any intervention of mine.” • “Do they go in for dancing?” “They go in for anything. Folkdancing, ballroom dancing, swimming, tennis and all the sports. I rather encourage this, not only for health, but because it counteracts the effects of hard work, like wheeling heavy barrows about.”

The girls look, becoming in their green jumper coats, breeches, and green-topped stockings. Each wears a tie to signify whether she is a first, second, or third-year girl. t Remarkable pride is taken in these colors, I was told. No tobaccostained fingers were in evidence —only the natural results of hard manualwork were just noticeable on some of the girls’ hands. But this would soon wear off. They each have a turn at every branch of the training. The girl who is looking after the cows will perhaps find herself in the packing room next week. Foi - the college does a large trade with Co vent Garden. A few weeks ago they were selling strawberries at one shilling each. Some one else who has been tending the rock garden will find herself in the pigsty. They love it, whatever it is.

“About fifteen of the girls who are leaving this term came to see me about taking up gardening. Not one of them did regret it. On t’le other hand they all say it grows on them and they like it better the more they know of it. There is quite a large demand for horticulturists. That does not mean, however, that these girls go out into the world to undercut male labour. I do not let them. They are thoroughly trained. “Marriage takes a good toll of our girls. But that is only natural! “We are tackling a new and important problem in the college now. You know, perhaps, that most elementary and secondary school teachers come from the towns. “This means that Hie rural matters are neglected even in village schools. We are npw training girls as teachers for these schools in the art of imparting rural knowledge, which would otherwise be neglected.” There are nearly sixty acres of land in connection with the college, besides a laboratory and a “homemade” jam factory. You come away with the impression that you never want to see a town again.