WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 149 



ways recommend water to others. I had some 

 difficulty in fixing the rate of my own wages. 

 It was the first time that I had an opportunity 

 of paying what I thought labor was worth ; and 

 I determined to make a good thing of it for once. 

 I figured it right down to European prices, 

 seventeen cents a day for unskilled labor. Of 

 course, I boarded myself. I ought to say that I 

 fixed the wages after the work was done, or I 

 might have been tempted to do as some masons 

 did who worked for me at four dollars a day. 

 They lay in the shade and slept the sleep of 

 honest toil full 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 deferred putting 

 a value on the potatoes until I had footed up the 



