MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 145 



half the time, at least all the time 

 I was away. I have reason to believe, 

 that when the wages of mechanics are 

 raised to eight and ten dollars a day, 

 the workmen will not come at all : they 

 will merely send their cards. 



I do not see any possible fault in the 

 above figures. I ought to say that I de 

 ferred putting a value on the potatoes 

 until I had footed up the debit column. 

 This is always the safest way to do. I 

 had twenty-five bushels. I roughly es 

 timated that there are one hundred 

 good ones to the bushel. Making my 

 own market-price, I asked two cents 

 apiece for them. This. I should have 

 considered dirt cheap last June, when I 

 was going down the rows with the hoe. 

 If any one thinks that two cents each is 

 high, let him try to raise them. 



Nature is &quot;awful smart.&quot; I intend to 

 be complimentary in saying so. She 

 10 



