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Publisher
Digitized by: Edwin Washington Project
Rights
Loudoun County Public Schools
Language
English
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extracted text
The Land Army of Virginia
By CALLY RYLAND.
Ever since English women first organized and enlisted in a Land
Army American women have been looking on with something of
curiosity, something of wonder and something of an embarrassed,
half-spoken desire to go and do likewise.
The North has already tried it out. “Farmerettes,” brave in uniform,
have stopped their work long enough to be snapped for the Sunday
supplements. The South became a little envious. These capable-look-
ing girls in smocks and bloomers and puttees, plowing, planting, dig- 4
ging and hoeing (stamped themselves indelibly upon Southern imagi-
nations. Should they go into it, too? What would people say? Would
the farmers really employ them? Would they be able to “carry on”
if they should make the attempt to release men for the service?
And while they were still thinking it over a courageous orchard-
owner of Loudoun county, a man who employs each year between 250
and 300 “hands” to pick, sort and pack his peaches and pippins,
stepped forward with the proposition that as hands were scarce he
would like to employ “a lady crew” for his orchard work this summer.
His proposition did not fall on deaf ears. Miss Charlotte Noland,
head mistress of the Foxcroft School for Girls, and an expert in every-
thing she undertakes, took him up on it and at once set about forming
Virginia’s first real Woman’s Land Army.
She marshalled her facts in this way . The orchard in question: is
near Leesburg. It was' planted twelve years ago, and covers 500 acres
of ground. Thirty-six thousand beech trees, with alternate rows o
pippin apple trees, climb the foothills almost to the top of a low spur
of Bull Run mountains. An old stone house, a huge granary with
deep stone foundations, and a spring furnished wonderful assets for|
housing, bathing and drinking purposes. .
The granary was at once turned into comfortable barracks and sprin;
wafer was pumped up to it. The formation of the army itself was the
easiest part. Some of the “old” Foxcroft girls were eager to be “sworn
in” before the lists were open. The governor’s wife was an early
volunteer. The recruiting officers found their work cut out for them
to register all those who wanted to “jine the army.”' In the shortest
5 possible time over 300 girls and women had enlisted for the regular
Land Army, and there was a second army of reserves eagerly waiting
for somebody to “slack” so they could get in.
The organization, according to Miss Noland, is modelled on strict
military lines and subject to military regulations. Discipline is to be
maintained. The work commenced on the 25th of July and continues
till September. The pay is 25 cents an hour.
Lodging is free and the table board is from 50 to 75 cents a day. A
large garden supplies fresh vegetables in abundance.
The uniform is simple and inexpensive; a smock of blue demin,
bloomers of the same and a farmer’s hat. The army keeps army hours.
1t is up by 5:30, works till 4:30, has a part of the afternoon to itself
.and retires at dark. It isn’t all work with them. Metaphorically
speaking, there are beer and skittles in the form of a big recreation
hall and a piano. Expert pickers and packers will be on hand to teach
the inexpert, and the trees are trimmed so that most of the fruit may
be reached from the ground. The output is expected to be a carload
a day. 5
Soldiers of the Land Army may enlist for any period of work from
two weeks to six, and they are expected to stay their time out or be
dismissed in disgrace as slackers.
With the early hours, the fresh mountain air, the interesting work
and play and the simple, wholesome food the first Woman’s Land Army
of Virginia should turn out a fine, healthy body of women. That their
work will equal the men’s work they have not the smallest doubt. In
fact, if a carload a day .is thé bogie score they expect to beat old Col.
Bogie himself.
Best of all, their work is undeniably patriotic. Picking and packing
and sorting peaches and doing the bookkeeping for the #lady crew”
is #>t exactly the sort of vacation that most of these soldiers of the
»ili have been accustomed %o. It is a genuine service they are ren- ..
aering their country at a time when it is most needed.