When so many town girls say that they couldn't
hoe, or weed, set potatoes, or gather fruit for
eight or nine hours a day I only wish that they
would try. Though they probably would not
like the first week, I think that they would
find that they could do it, if they determined
to persevere.
Often we were very wet and cold, and
sometimes it was extremely hot, and that
is even more trying. Some days we could

62



The Land

see the hot air shimmering over the earth.
But none of us ever ailed, and a cold was
unheard of.
In the summer the early mornings were so
beautiful that I often regretted not being
out sooner.
It was quite strange going to work in the
neighbourhood of a manufacturing town, and
to us there seemed to be such a lack of realiza-
tion of all that the war meant. In London
we were beginning to be used to seeing women
doing all kinds of work, taking the fares in
omnibuses, delivering letters, and so on, but
here, though many women were in the factories
— and always are — men were still available for
all these occupations and there was very little
noticeable change. We, and a number of girls
who were learning farming in the district,
were the object of a good deal of interest and
criticism, and it was surprising to see people
passing in motors turn round excitedly to
look at the ' lady gardeners,' as we often
heard ourselves called.
