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which I required； about a third of an acre； and I learned from the
experience of both years； not being in the least awed by many
celebrated works on husbandry； Arthur Young among the rest； that if
one would live simply and eat only the crop which he raised； and
raise no more than he ate； and not exchange it for an insufficient
quantity of more luxurious and expensive things； he would need to
cultivate only a few rods of ground； and that it would be cheaper to
spade up that than to use oxen to plow it； and to select a fresh
spot from time to time than to manure the old； and he could do all
his necessary farm work as it were with his left hand at odd hours
in the summer； and thus he would not be tied to an ox； or horse； or
cow； or pig； as at present。 I desire to speak impartially on this
point； and as one not interested in the success or failure of the
present economical and social arrangements。 I was more independent
than any farmer in Concord； for I was not anchored to a house or
farm； but could follow the bent of my genius； which is a very
crooked one； every moment。 Beside being better off than they
already； if my house had been burned or my crops had failed； I
should have been nearly as well off as before。
I am wont to think that men are not so much the keepers of herds
as herds are the keepers of men； the former are so much the freer。
Men and oxen exchange work； but if we consider necessary work only；
the oxen will be seen to have greatly the advantage； their farm is
so much the larger。 Man does some of his part of the exchange work
in his six weeks of haying； and it is no boy's play。 Certainly no
nation that lived simply in all respects； that is； no nation of
philosophers； would commit so great a blunder as to use the labor of
animals。 True； there never was and is not likely soon to be a
nation of philosophers； nor am I certain it is desirable that there
should be。 However； I should never have broken a horse or bull and
taken him to board for any work he might do for me； for fear I
should become a horseman or a herdsman merely； and if society seems
to be the gainer by so doing； are we certain that what is one man's
gain is not another's loss； and that the stable…boy has equal cause
with his master to be satisfied？ Granted that some public works
would not have been constructed without this aid； and let man share
the glory of such with the ox and horse； does it follow that he
could not have accomplished works yet more worthy of himself in that
case？ When men begin to do； not merely unnecessary or artistic； but
luxurious and idle work； with their assistance； it is inevitable
that a few do all the exchange work with the oxen； or； in other
words； become the slaves of the strongest。 Man thus not only works
for the animal within him； but； for a symbol of this； he works for
the animal without him。 Though we have many substantial houses of
brick or stone； the prosperity of the farmer is still measured by
the degree to which the barn overshadows the house。 This town is
said to have the largest houses for oxen； cows； and horses
hereabouts； and it is not behindhand in its public buildings； but
there are very few halls for free worship or free speech in this
county。 It should not be by their architecture； but why not even by
their power of abstract thought； that nations should seek to
commemorate themselves？ How much more admirable the Bhagvat…Geeta
than all the ruins of the East！ Towers and temples are the luxury
of princes。 A simple and independent mind does not toil at the
bidding of any prince。 Genius is not a retainer to any emperor； nor
is its material silver； or gold； or marble； except to a trifling
extent。 To what end； pray； is so much stone hammered？ In Arcadia；
when I was there； I did not see any hammering stone。 Nations are
possessed with an insane ambition to perpetuate the memory of
themselves by the amount of hammered stone they leave。 What if
equal pains were taken to smooth and polish their manners？ One
piece of good sense would be more memorable than a monument as high
as the moon。 I love better to see stones in place。 The grandeur of
Thebes was a vulgar grandeur。 More sensible is a rod of stone wall
that bounds an honest man's field than a hundred…gated Thebes that
has wandered farther from the true end of life。 The religion and
civilization which are barbaric and heathenish build splendid
temples； but what you might call Christianity does not。 Most of the
stone a nation hammers goes toward its tomb only。 It buries itself
alive。 As for the Pyramids； there is nothing to wonder at in them
so much as the fact that so many men could be found degraded enough
to spend their lives constructing a tomb for some ambitious booby；
whom it would have been wiser and manlier to have drowned in the
Nile； and then given his body to the dogs。 I might possibly invent
some excuse for them and him； but I have no time for it。 As for the
religion and love of art of the builders； it is much the same all
the world over； whether the building be an Egyptian temple or the
United States Bank。 It costs more than it comes to。 The mainspring
is vanity； assisted by the love of garlic and bread and butter。 Mr。
Balcom； a promising young architect； designs it on the back of his
Vitruvius； with hard pencil and ruler； and the job is let out to
Dobson & Sons； stonecutters。 When the thirty centuries begin to
look down on it； mankind begin to look up at it。 As for your high
towers and monuments； there was a crazy fellow once in this town who
undertook to dig through to China； and he got so far that； as he
said； he heard the Chinese pots and kettles rattle； but I think that
I shall not go out of my way to admire the hole which he made。 Many
are concerned about the monuments of the West and the East to
know who built them。 For my part； I should like to know who in
those days did not build them who were above such trifling。 But
to proceed with my statistics。
By surveying； carpentry； and day…labor of various other kinds in
the village in the meanwhile； for I have as many trades as fingers；
I had earned 13。34。 The expense of food for eight months； namely；
from July 4th to March 1st； the time when these estimates were made；
though I lived there more than two years not counting potatoes； a
little green corn； and some peas； which I had raised； nor
considering the value of what was on hand at the last date was
Rice 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1。73 1/2
Molasses 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1。73 Cheapest form of the
saccharine。
Rye meal 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1。04 3/4
Indian meal 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。99 3/4 Cheaper than rye。
Pork 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。22
All experiments which failed：
Flour 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。88 Costs more than Indian meal；
both money and trouble。
Sugar 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。80
Lard 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。65
Apples 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。25
Dried apple 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。22
Sweet potatoes 。。。。。。。。。。。 0。10
One pumpkin 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。06
One watermelon 。。。。。。。。。。。 0。02
Salt 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 0。03
Yes； I did eat 8。74； all told； but I should not thus unblushingly
publish my guilt； if I did not know that most of my readers were
equally guilty with myself； and that their deeds would look no
better in print。 The next year I sometimes caught a mess of fish
for my dinner； and once I went so far as to slaughter a woodchuck
which ravaged my bean…field effect his transmigration； as a
Tartar would say and devour him； partly for experiment's sake；
but though it afforded me a momentary enjoyment； notwithstanding a
musky flavor； I saw that the longest use would not make that a good
practice； however it might seem to have your woodchucks ready
dressed by the village butcher。
Clothing and some incidental expenses within the same dates；
though little can be inferred from this item； amounted to
8。40…3/4
Oil and some household utensils 。。。。。。。。 2。00
So that all the pecuniary outgoes； excepting for washing and
mending； which for the most part were done out of the house； and
their bills have not yet been received and these are all and more
than all the ways by which money necessarily goes out in this part
of the world were
House 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 28。12＋
Farm one year 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 14。72＋
Food eight months 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 8。74
Clothing； etc。； eight months 。。。。。。。。。。。。 8。40…3/4
Oil； etc。； eight months 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 2。00
…
In all 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 61。99…3/4
I address myself now to those of my readers who have a living to
get。 And to meet this I have for farm pro