MY FARM OF EDGEWOOD 



— or dug out so many rocks, and mostly with 

 his own hands, or in spare time with his own 

 "help" ; in short, it is intimated that all is done 

 at little expense. Now this is very absurd; 

 great work involves great labor; and great 

 labor has its price. You may do it in the 

 night, and call it no labor ; you may do it your- 

 self, and call it no expense ; but there is, never- 

 theless, a great deal of positive expenditure of 

 both muscle and time which, if not given to this 

 work, might have been given to another. It 

 may count much for your industry, but not 

 one whit for your farming, until we learn if 

 the labor has been judiciously expended — has 

 paid, in short. And to determine this, we must 

 estimate the labor at its market value — whether 

 done in the night, or on holidays. 



If I see a house painted all over in diamonds 

 of every hue, and express distaste for the wan- 

 ton waste of labor, it is no answer to me to 

 say — that the man did it in odd hours. What 

 will not pay for doing in even hours, will never 

 pay for doing in odd hours. It is no excuse 

 for waste of time and muscle, to waste them 

 in the dark. Every spade or hammer-stroke 

 upon the farm — no matter whether done by 

 the master or the master's son, or master's 

 wife— no matter whether done after hours or 



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