The Bean-Field

dthemforricebut,perchance,assomemustworkinfieldsifonlyforthesakeoftropesandexpression,toserveaparable-makeroneday.Itwasonthewholearareamusement,which,continuedtoolong,mighthavebecomeadissipation.ThoughIgavethemnomanure,anddidnothoethemallonce,IhoedthemunusuallywellasfarasIwent,andwaspaidforitintheend,“therebeingintruth,”asEvelynsays,“nocompostorl?tationwhatsoevercomparabletothiscontinualmotion,repastination,andturningofthemouldwiththespade.”“Theearth,”headdselsewhere,“especiallyiffresh,hasacertainmagnetisminit,bywhichitattractsthesalt,power,orvirtue(calliteither)whichgivesitlife,andisthelogicofallthelaborandstirwekeepaboutit,tosustainusalldungingsandothersordidtemperingsbeingbutthevicarssuccedaneoustothisimprovement.”Moreover,thisbeingoneofthose“worn-outandexhaustedlayfieldswhichenjoytheirsabbath,”hadperchance,asSirKenelmDigbythinkslikely,attracted“vitalspirits”fromtheair.Iharvestedtwelvebushelsofbeans. Buttobemoreparticular,foritiscomplainedthatMr.Colemanhasreportedchieflytheexpensiveexperimentsofgentlemenfarmers,myoutgoeswere,— Forahoe,..................................$0.54 Ploughing,harrowing,andfurrowing,.........7.50Toomuch. Beansforseed,..............................3.12? Potatoesforseed,...........................1.33 Peasforseed,...............................0.40 Turnipseed,.................................0.06 Whitelineforcrowfence,...................0.02 Horsecultivatorandboythreehours,........1.00 Horseandcarttogetcrop,..................0.75 ———— Inall,.................................$14.72? Myincomewas(patremfamiliasvendacem,nonemacemesseoportet),from Ninebushelsandtwelvequartsofbeanssold,.$16.94 Five"largepotatoes,....................2.50 Nine"small,.............................2.25 Grass,..........................................1.00 Stalks,.........................................0.75 ———— Inall,...................................$23.44 Leavingapecuniaryprofit, asIhaveelsewheresaid,of..............$8.71?. Thisistheresultofmyexperienceinraisingbeans.PlantthecommonsmallwhitebushbeanaboutthefirstofJune,inrowsthreefeetbyeighteeninchesapart,beingcarefultoselectfreshroundandunmixedseed.Firstlookoutforworms,andsupplyvacanciesbyplantinganew.Thenlookoutforwoodchucks,ifitisanexposedplace,fortheywillnibbleofftheearliesttenderleavesalmostcleanastheygoandagain,whentheyoungtendrilsmaketheirappearance,theyhavenoticeofit,andwillshearthemoffwithbothbudsandyoungpods,sittingerectlikeasquirrel.Butaboveallharvestasearlyaspossible,ifyouwouldescapefrostsandhaveafairandsalablecropyoumaysavemuchlossbythismeans. ThisfurtherexperiencealsoIgained.Isaidtomyself,Iwillnotplantbeansandcornwithsomuchindustryanothersummer,butsuchseeds,iftheseedisnotlost,assincerity,truth,simplicity,faith,innocence,andthelike,andseeiftheywillnotgrowinthissoil,evenwithlesstoilandmanurance,andsustainme,forsurelyithasnotbeenexhaustedforthesecrops.Alas!Isaidthistomyselfbutnowanothersummerisgone,andanother,andanother,andIamobligedtosaytoyou,Reader,thattheseedswhichIplanted,ifindeedtheyweretheseedsofthosevirtues,werewormeatenorhadlosttheirvitality,andsodidnotcomeup.Commonlymenwillonlybebraveastheirfatherswerebrave,ortimid.ThisgenerationisverysuretoplantcornandbeanseachnewyearpreciselyastheIndiansdidcenturiesagoandtaughtthefirstsettlerstodo,asiftherewereafateinit.Isawanoldmantheotherday,tomyastonishment,makingtheholeswithahoefortheseventiethtimeatleast,andnotforhimselftoliedownin!ButwhyshouldnottheNewEnglandertrynewadventures,andnotlaysomuchstressonhisgrain,hispotatoandgrasscrop,andhisorchards,—rai