314 FARMING BY INCHES; 



CHAPTER VII. 



OUR LEDGER. 



THE next day but one we had a queer commentary on 

 Messrs. Kempenfielder and Stamford's ideas of female 

 labor, by finding twenty-one girls and sixteen boys paraded 

 in our yard, all eager to obtain the " light work, and rea- 

 sonable pay." The boys we rejected at once. Why they 

 came at all is more than I know ; perhaps they were modest, 

 and thought they could do a girl's work. Selecting six of 

 the brightest-looking girls, we dismissed the rest, and they 

 went back to the village sadly disappointed. Our six pick- 

 ers were soon introduced to the " pea-patch," and, as we 

 were quite as ignorant as they as to the best method of pick- 

 ing peas, we let them help themselves about it. However, 

 they were bright, and quickly learned that the true way 

 was for each to take a row, and pick clean as they went. 

 We paid them by the bushel, and thereby induced a lively 

 competition, which resulted in our mutual benefit. After 

 they had gleaned the peas, Robert set them to work tying 

 up turnips, in bunches of four each. Jack pulled the roots, 

 trimmed the tops, and brought them to the girls in the 



