Chapter 7. The Bean-field

Thomas Hood · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject: Chapter 7. The Bean-field

Summary

an unknown motive for growing beans

childhood remembrance of the field

advice on growing beans

song of the brown thrasher

the sounds of nature

sounds of the war with Mexico

self knowledge through beans

the war with weeds

the Pythagorean bean-grower

farming expenses and income

convention as fate

return to the sacred

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/walden/cha pter07.html
Walden Study Text

DWill · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:27 am Post subject:

To read elsewhere that he has misgivings about farming on a large scale, and then to read here that he maintained 7 miles of garden rows--wow. I'm a gardener, too, but I only plant a patch. It truly was, as he says Herculean in scope.I guess the difference is that my garden represents no economic necessity for me, whereas it did, apparently for him. He did need the money from the garden, though I suppose he could have increased his day-labor and made up the shortfall. He must ahve felt that planting would be fit better into his experiment.

Thomas Hood · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:58 pm Post subject:

Why Thoreau Grew Beans

DWill · Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:39 am Post subject:

Tom, thanks for your insight into this. For him to admit unawareness of his motive does make one feel that he must be feeling a strong, underlying unconscious push.
Will

WildCityWoman · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:01 pm Post subject:

About growing 'beans' and stuff like that . . . in the spring, I put a half pack of dried soup mix in a large pot, watered it, and let it do it's 'thing'.

I was surprised - I learned there were two things I was wrong about . . .

1) that growing foliage from a food pack won't give you flowers and/or vegetation - they haven't been fertilized for this purpose;

2) once I realized that the growth would indeed 'flower', I said 'well, it certainly won't give beans or peas'.

I was pleased as punch when my big pot of soup mix boomed with greenery, gave little flowers and actually popped some peas and beans.

I didn't really care if I got to eat it, so when the growth got too big and just looked like a messy hairdo, I chopped it all up and scattered it for the birds and squirrels.

WildCityWoman · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

Thomas Hood · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:42 pm Post subject:

WildCityWoman · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject:

I dunno' . . . peas, beans . . . yes, I guess they were lentils. I'm not much of a veggie farmer, I don't really know what they're like when growing.

WildCityWoman · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:53 am Post subject:

Another thing . . . he said he rather see beans than grass . . . so why did he buy grass?

I don't understand why he would want grass. Maybe for animals to graze?

- and -

One of the neighbours advised him to cover his planting with 'chip dirt'.

What does he mean by 'chip dirt'?

WildCityWoman · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:54 am Post subject:

He said to work at your crop 'while the dew is on'.

Does anybody know why he would advise that - is it better for the plants?

Maybe it's because the soil is moist and it's easier to dig, to hoe? I dunno' . . .

DWill · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:05 am Post subject:

WildCityWoman · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:33 am Post subject:

Oh, it's peas, beans and like Thomas said - lentils.

I've since cut it all back and put some other stuff in the pot.

It was so long and messy it looked like a bad hair day. Next spring, I'll do it again, only I'll put them along a fence so they can climb all summer.


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