Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1903 — AN INDIANA DAIRY MAID. [ARTICLE]

AN INDIANA DAIRY MAID.

Indlanapolia New*: Miss Edith Parsons one Hendricks county girls who is making a State name for herself through her efforts as dairy maid. Miss Parsonß is one of njne children of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Parson,s and lives on a fine farm some seven miles south of Danville, in Liberty township. Mr. Parsons is an ex-recorder of Hendricks county, and so well to-do that it is not because of necessity that Miss Parsons has taken up the dairy work, bat because she feels that it is her calling. She has been in the work three years and it was because of an interesting paper on “Dairying for the Farmer’s Daughter,” read before a recent meeting of the Indiana State Dairy Association, at Lafayette, that she has come into special prominence.

Miss Parsons entered Purdue University in the class of 1900, and attended the school three months, when sickness prevented the continuance of her studies. She has been planning to return and complete the course, but has yet been unable to do so. She says, however, that during even the short stay she obtained the foundation principles which have been of inestimable value to her. In her class were sixty-nine young men and nine young women. The course does not consist alone in teaching dairying, but also a full course in English, domestic economy, bouse sanitation, bacteriology, etc. Returning home she began to f>ut into practice what she bad earned. There were five cows in her father’s herd and these were not of the best quality. She now has fifteen of the very best to be had. She prefers the Jerseys, though part of her herd are Shorthorns. She put in a patent butter worker, a separator and introduced “Purdue methods,” as she says. As soon as the milking is done the cream is separated from the milk, cooled to 60 degrees and eet to one side in huge jars ready for churning. This could be done every day, but she usually churns every other day, and does two churnings at a time. She tnrns out eighty pounds of butter each week, getting on an average two and one-fourth pounds from each gallon of cream. The butter is molded into pound bricks, each being wrapped in a parchment paper on which is the label, “From the Wa-Pa-Ke-Way Dairy”. For this she receives Elgin prices, which are the highest, and an additional cent on each pound because the butter is molded. Her butter is all engaged by one grocery firm at Indianapolis. She can by no means supply the such as cooking, sewing, musio or

demand and is preparing largely to increase her dairy in every way next year. She ie assisted in her work by three brothers, who do mnchofthe milking, which she says, “is the only pen of the work I do not like.” She uses a DeLaral separator, which process she says, is far in advance of the old time method of “skimming” the milk, in that it is much more satisfactory and valuable time is saved. She uses i large “barrel” churn, whioh she considers the best, and which does the wqrk well and quickly. An older brother, Norman Parsons, conducts a successful dairy five miles east of her home, following her principles in his operations. Miss Parsons grows enthusiastic when talking on her favorite topic, and advises young women whose parents are farmers to stay in the country. She says: “When I left my country home to enter Purdue University I was actuated by no higher motive than the charm of getting away from home. Looking hack to the farm, little did I realize that after returning home I would take up a profession that I had before detested, that of working in a dairy, and that I would be enthused with it. “Oar first and main difficulty has been that of increasing our dairy herd. We bought cows that were said to be good, which they were, but they were not good batter cows, and we were compelled to sell them at a loss, for we found that persons owning good butter cows will not sell them. We are now overcoming this difficulty by raising our own cows. “Many mothers persist in saying that the work in a dairy is too hard for their daughters, but I believe that any work, if entered into with the soul and willing hands, will cease to become drudgery and become an art. If more girls would work in a dairy, or would do Borne work that would give them more exercise in the open air, 1 am quite sure that their health would be improved, and the demand for face powders and paints would be largely decreased, for we all know that Mother Nature is willing to do all she can to aid in onr happyness and add to our general appearance. . “Why, then do so many girls leave the farm and go to the city to work in some shop that requires all of their time daring the day, and often part of the night? I fully believe it is because their eyes have not been opened to the true wealth of the farm, or the many advantages the girl on the farm has over the shop girl. It is true that the girl on the farm arises early, but if she is engaged in the dairy business, her morning’s work is completed by 9 o’clock, and she has from that time until 4 o’clock in the afternoon to devote to the other affairs, fancy work, and then when her evening’s work is completed, which is usually about 6 o’clock, she has several hours to devote to reading, driving, entertaining or in any way she may wish. Should life nnder these circumstances be dull or uninteresting? “The shop girl’s life is very different. She works from 7 o’clock a. m., to 6 p. m., and often later. Then she feels too much exhausted to even care for music or reading. The rosy color soon leaves her cheeks and her general health becomes impaired, and they often wish for a few days on the farm where they may get pure air and fresh Jersey cream and batter. '"v“So I would say to the farmer’s daughters: Stick to the farm, take up some profession that can be practiced on the farm, whether it be dairying, or poultry raising, and do not for a single moment allow the tempter to have possession of you. Think of yonr health and those little gold mines on the farm and remember that with health comes happiness, and with happiness, wealth.”