ABSTRACT
The second chapter' gives an account of women's work in agriculture, where their activity is of scarcely less importance than in borne industries. In most parts of the country women perform all kinds of agricultural work; they make hay, harvest rye, oats and corn, thresh, ditch and saw-sometimes, although not often, they even plough. This fact is due in olden times to the wars, in newer tiI;l1es to the emigration of men to America and Australia. Women who own cottages and farms, or whose husbands have been field labourers, thus, by the absence of the men, a.re forced to participate in the field work. In 1890 there were in Finland 8,580 women peasants, 2,516 women farmers and colonists, 5,6:l1 women cottagers, and 76,857 women servants engaged in agriCJlltural work. To this total must be added wives, sisters and daughters of male farmers, cottagers, and field labourers, who all more or less participate in the work. As a peculiarity it may be mentioned that in spite of these facts, no agricultural school in Finland admits women. On the other hand, all dairy schools receive girls as pupils, and no fees need to be paid for the ~nstruction. There are eighteen such schools, and besides that, the agricultural societies arrange moveable courses, and send instructors and instructresses to those who ask for them. All dairy work is as a rule performed by women-even the milking and the taking care of the cows. Many women are owners of well-known dairies, and have received prizes in exhibitions. . G~rdening has until lately been but little developed in Fmland, but the women have always taken a great interest in this work. The calendar tells us that many of the oldest and best orchards are planted by women.
