26 The Farm fit Pfifl 



per hour for simply moving a little lever ; a 

 third man causes a piece of the wood to take 

 on the forms of beauty for the great staircase, 

 and may receive 50 cents per hour ; the fourth 

 furnishes the design for this beautiful staircase, 

 and may receive $1 an hour. The man who 

 does the so-called "hard" work receives the 

 least pay. Why! Because it is the least diffi- 

 cult. This difference of remuneration holds 

 good on the farm. Mushrooms sell for 50 cents 

 per pound ; maize for one-half cent per pound. 

 Why? Because anybody, even a squaw, can 

 raise maize, but only a specially skilled gar- 

 dener can succeed in mushroom culture. Hot- 

 house lambs bring from $6 to $10 when two 

 months old ; a poorly bred sheep at two years 

 of age may bring from $2 to $4. Why? The 

 breeding and feeding of the one is easy ; of the 

 other difficult. 



In 1897 the raising of potatoes was difficult. 

 The blights, the bugs and the beetles were pres- 

 ent in full force. Oood potatoes in the middle 

 and eastern states rose to 65 cents per bushel 

 wholesale. The man who watched and fought 

 intelligently secured 300 bushels per acre and a 

 ready market ; the careless man and the man 

 who should have been raising horses or chickens 

 secured 30 bushels per acre and a slow market. 

 Why ? Because unusual difficulties were pres- 



