.......................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,—raiseot