with　a　slight　quivering　winnowing　sound　and　carrier　haste；　or　from
  under　a　rotten　stump　my　hoe　turned　up　a　sluggish　portentous　and
  outlandish　spotted　salamander；　a　trace　of　Egypt　and　the　Nile；　yet
  our　contemporary。　　When　I　paused　to　lean　on　my　hoe；　these　sounds　and
  sights　I　heard　and　saw　anywhere　in　the　row；　a　part　of　the
  inexhaustible　entertainment　which　the　country　offers。
  On　gala　days　the　town　fires　its　great　guns；　which　echo　like
  popguns　to　these　woods；　and　some　waifs　of　martial　music　occasionally
  penetrate　thus　far。　　To　me；　away　there　in　my　bean…field　at　the　other
  end　of　the　town；　the　big　guns　sounded　as　if　a　puffball　had　burst；
  and　when　there　was　a　military　turnout　of　which　I　was　ignorant；　I
  have　sometimes　had　a　vague　sense　all　the　day　of　some　sort　of　itching
  and　disease　in　the　horizon；　as　if　some　eruption　would　break　out
  there　soon；　either　scarlatina　or　canker…rash；　until　at　length　some
  more　favorable　puff　of　wind；　making　haste　over　the　fields　and　up　the
  Wayland　road；　brought　me　information　of　the　〃trainers。〃　　It　seemed
  by　the　distant　hum　as　if　somebody's　bees　had　swarmed；　and　that　the
  neighbors；　according　to　Virgil's　advice；　by　a　faint　tintinnabulum
  upon　the　most　sonorous　of　their　domestic　utensils；　were　endeavoring
  to　call　them　down　into　the　hive　again。　　And　when　the　sound　died
  quite　away；　and　the　hum　had　ceased；　and　the　most　favorable　breezes
  told　no　tale；　I　knew　that　they　had　got　the　last　drone　of　them　all
  safely　into　the　Middlesex　hive；　and　that　now　their　minds　were　bent
  on　the　honey　with　which　it　was　smeared。
  I　felt　proud　to　know　that　the　liberties　of　Massachusetts　and　of
  our　fatherland　were　in　such　safe　keeping；　and　as　I　turned　to　my
  hoeing　again　I　was　filled　with　an　inexpressible　confidence；　and
  pursued　my　labor　cheerfully　with　a　calm　trust　in　the　future。
  When　there　were　several　bands　of　musicians；　it　sounded　as　if　all
  the　village　was　a　vast　bellows　and　all　the　buildings　expanded　and
  collapsed　alternately　with　a　din。　　But　sometimes　it　was　a　really
  noble　and　inspiring　strain　that　reached　these　woods；　and　the　trumpet
  that　sings　of　fame；　and　I　felt　as　if　I　could　spit　a　Mexican　with　a
  good　relish　　for　why　should　we　always　stand　for　trifles？　　and
  looked　round　for　a　woodchuck　or　a　skunk　to　exercise　my　chivalry
  upon。　　These　martial　strains　seemed　as　far　away　as　Palestine；　and
  reminded　me　of　a　march　of　crusaders　in　the　horizon；　with　a　slight
  tantivy　and　tremulous　motion　of　the　elm　tree　tops　which　overhang　the
  village。　　This　was　one　of　the　great　days；　though　the　sky　had　from　my
  clearing　only　the　same　everlastingly　great　look　that　it　wears　daily；
  and　I　saw　no　difference　in　it。
  It　was　a　singular　experience　that　long　acquaintance　which　I
  cultivated　with　beans；　what　with　planting；　and　hoeing；　and
  harvesting；　and　threshing；　and　picking　over　and　selling　them　　the
  last　was　the　hardest　of　all　　I　might　add　eating；　for　I　did　taste。
  I　was　determined　to　know　beans。　　When　they　were　growing；　I　used　to
  hoe　from　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　till　noon；　and　commonly　spent
  the　rest　of　the　day　about　other　affairs。　　Consider　the　intimate　and
  curious　acquaintance　one　makes　with　various　kinds　of　weeds　　it
  will　bear　some　iteration　in　the　account；　for　there　was　no　little
  iteration　in　the　labor　　disturbing　their　delicate　organizations　so
  ruthlessly；　and　making　such　invidious　distinctions　with　his　hoe；
  levelling　whole　ranks　of　one　species；　and　sedulously　cultivating
  another。　　That's　Roman　wormwood　　that's　pigweed　　that's　sorrel
  that's　piper…grass　　have　at　him；　chop　him　up；　turn　his　roots
  upward　to　the　sun；　don't　let　him　have　a　fibre　in　the　shade；　if　you
  do　he'll　turn　himself　t'　other　side　up　and　be　as　green　as　a　leek　in
  two　days。　　A　long　war；　not　with　cranes；　but　with　weeds；　those
  Trojans　who　had　sun　and　rain　and　dews　on　their　side。　　Daily　the
  beans　saw　me　come　to　their　rescue　armed　with　a　hoe；　and　thin　the
  ranks　of　their　enemies；　filling　up　the　trenches　with　weedy　dead。
  Many　a　lusty　crest　　waving　Hector；　that　towered　a　whole　foot　above
  his　crowding　comrades；　fell　before　my　weapon　and　rolled　in　the　dust。
  Those　summer　days　which　some　of　my　contemporaries　devoted　to　the
  fine　arts　in　Boston　or　Rome；　and　others　to　contemplation　in　India；
  and　others　to　trade　in　London　or　New　York；　I　thus；　with　the　other
  farmers　of　New　England；　devoted　to　husbandry。　　Not　that　I　wanted
  beans　to　eat；　for　I　am　by　nature　a　Pythagorean；　so　far　as　beans　are
  concerned；　whether　they　mean　porridge　or　voting；　and　exchanged　them
  for　rice；　but；　perchance；　as　some　must　work　in　fields　if　only　for
  the　sake　of　tropes　and　expression；　to　serve　a　parable…maker　one　day。
  It　was　on　the　whole　a　rare　amusement；　which；　continued　too　long；
  might　have　become　a　dissipation。　　Though　I　gave　them　no　manure；　and
  did　not　hoe　them　all　once；　I　hoed　them　unusualy　well　as　far　as　I
  went；　and　was　paid　for　it　in　the　end；　〃there　being　in　truth；〃　as
  Evelyn　says；　〃no　compost　or　laetation　whatsoever　comparable　to　this
  continual　motion；　repastination；　and　turning　of　the　mould　with　the
  spade。〃　　〃The　earth；〃　he　adds　elsewhere；　〃especially　if　fresh；　has　a
  certain　magnetism　in　it；　by　which　it　attracts　the　salt；　power；　or
  virtue　（call　it　either）　which　gives　it　life；　and　is　the　logic　of　all
  the　labor　and　stir　we　keep　about　it；　to　sustain　us；　all　dungings　and
  other　sordid　temperings　being　but　the　vicars　succedaneous　to　this
  improvement。〃　　Moreover；　this　being　one　of　those　〃worn…out　and
  exhausted　lay　fields　which　enjoy　their　sabbath；〃　had　perchance；　as
  Sir　Kenelm　Digby　thinks　likely；　attracted　〃vital　spirits〃　from　the
  air。　　I　harvested　twelve　bushels　of　beans。
  But　to　be　more　particular；　for　it　is　complained　that　Mr。　Coleman
  has　reported　chiefly　the　expensive　experiments　of　gentlemen　farmers；
  my　outgoes　were；
  For　a　hoe　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　0。54
  Plowing；　harrowing；　and　furrowing　。。。。。。。。。。。。　　7。50　　Too　much。
  Beans　for　seed　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　3。12＋
  Potatoes　for　seed　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1。33
  Peas　for　seed　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　0。40
  Turnip　seed　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　0。06
  White　line　for　crow　fence　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　0。02
  Horse　cultivator　and　boy　three　hours　。。。。。。。。。　　1。00
  Horse　and　cart　to　get　crop　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　0。75
  In　all　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　14。72＋
  My　income　was　（patrem　familias　vendacem；　non　emacem　esse
  oportet）；　from
  Nine　bushels　and　twelve　quarts　of　beans　sold　。。　16。94
  Five　　　　〃　　　　large　potatoes　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　2。50
  Nine　　　　〃　　　　small　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　2。25
  Grass　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　1。00
  Stalks　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　0。75
  …
  In　all　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　23。44
  Leaving　a　pecuniary　profit；
  as　I　have　elsewhere　said；　of　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　8。71＋
  This　is　the　result　of　my　experience　in　raising　beans：　　Plant　the
  common　small　white　bush　bean　about　the　first　of　June；　in　rows　three
  feet　by　eighteen　inches　apart；　being　careful　to　select　fresh　round
  and　unmixed　seed。　　First　look　out　for　worms；　and　supply　vacancies　by
  planting　anew。　　Then　look　out　for　woodchucks；　if　it　is　an　exposed
  place；　for　they　will　nibble　off　the　earliest　tender　leaves　almost
  clean　as　they　go；　and　again；　when　the　young　tendrils　make　their
  appearance；　they　have　notice　of　it；　and　will　shear　them　off　with
  both　buds　and　young　pods；　sitting　erect　like　a　squirrel。　　But　above
  all　harvest　as　early　as　possible；　if　you　would　escape　frosts　and
  have　a　fair　and　salable　crop；　you　may　save　much　loss　by　this　means。
  This　further　experience　also　I　gained：　　I　said　to　myself；　I　will
  not　plant　beans　and　corn　with　so　much　industry　another　summer；　but
  such　seeds；　if　the　seed　is　not　lost；　as　sincerity；　truth；
  simplicity；　faith；　innocence；　and　the　like；　and　see　if　they　will　not
  grow　in　this　soil；　even　with　less　toil　and　manurance；　and　sustain
  me；　for　surely　it　has　not　been　exhausted　for　these　crops。　　Alas！　　I
  said　this　to　myself；　but　now　another　summer　is　gone；　and　another；
  and　another；　and　I　am　obliged　to　say　to　you；　Reader；　that　the　seeds
  which　I　planted；　if　indeed　they　were　the　seeds　of　those　virtues；
  were　wormeaten　or　had　lost　their　vitality；　and　so　did　not　come　up。
  Commonly　men　will　only　be　brave　as　their　fathers　were　brave；　or
  timid。　　This　generation　is　very　sure　to　plant　corn　and　beans　each
  new　year　precisely　as　the　Indians　did　centuries　ago　and　taught　the
  first　settlers　to　do；　as　if　there　were　a　fate　in　it。　　I　saw　an　old
  man　the　other　day；　to　my　astonishment；　making　the　holes　with　a　hoe
  for　the　seventieth　time　at　least；　and　not　for　himself　to　lie　down
  in！　　But　why　should　not　the　New　Englander　try　new　adventures；　and
  not　lay　so　much　stress　on　his　grain；　his　potato　and　grass　crop；　and