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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 produce sold
23。44
Earned by day…labor 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 13。34
…
In all 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 36。78；
which subtracted from the sum of the outgoes leaves a balance of
25。21 3/4 on the one side this being very nearly the means with
which I started； and the measure of expenses to be incurred and
on the other； beside the leisure and independence and health thus
secured； a comfortable house for me as long as I choose to occupy
it。
These statistics； however accidental and therefore uninstructive
they may appear； as they have a certain completeness； have a certain
value also。 Nothing was given me of which I have not rendered some
account。 It appears from the above estimate； that my food alone
cost me in money about twenty…seven cents a week。 It was； for
nearly two years after this； rye and Indian meal without yeast；
potatoes； rice； a very little salt pork； molasses； and salt； and my
drink； water。 It was fit that I should live on rice； mainly； who
love so well the philosophy of India。 To meet the objections of
some inveterate cavillers； I may as well state； that if I dined out
occasionally； as I always had done； and I trust shall have
opportunities to do again； it was frequently to the detriment of my
domestic arrangements。 But the dining out； being； as I have stated；
a constant element； does not in the least affect a comparative
statement like this。
I learned from my two years' experience that it would cost
incredibly little trouble to obtain one's necessary food； even in
this latitude； that a man may use as simple a diet as the animals；
and yet retain health and strength。 I have made a satisfactory
dinner； satisfactory on several accounts； simply off a dish of
purslane （Portulaca oleracea） which I gathered in my cornfield；
boiled and salted。 I give the Latin on account of the savoriness of
the trivial name。 And pray what more can a reasonable man desire；
in peaceful times； in ordinary noons； than a sufficient number of
ears of green sweet corn boiled； with the addition of salt？ Even
the little variety which I used was a yielding to the demands of
appetite； and not of health。 Yet men have come to such a pass that
they frequently starve； not for want of necessaries； but for want of
luxuries； and I know a good woman who thinks that her son lost his
life because he took to drinking water only。
The reader will perceive that I am treating the subject rather
from an economic than a dietetic point of view； and he will not
venture to put my abstemiousness to the test unless he has a
well…stocked larder。
Bread I at first made of pure Indian meal and salt； genuine
hoe…cakes； which I baked before my fire out of doors on a shingle or
the end of a stick of timber sawed off in building my house； but it
was wont to get smoked and to have a piny flavor； I tried flour
also； but have at last found a mixture of rye and Indian meal most
convenient and agreeable。 In cold weather it was no little
amusement to bake several small loaves of this in succession；
tending and turning them as carefully as an Egyptian his hatching
eggs。 They were a real cereal fruit which I ripened； and they had
to my senses a fragrance like that of other noble fruits； which I
kept in as long as possible by wrapping them in cloths。 I made a
study of the ancient and indispensable art of bread…making；
consulting such authorities as offered； going back to the primitive
days and first invention of the unleavened kind； when from the
wildness of nuts and meats men first reached the mildness and
refinement of this diet； and travelling gradually down in my studies
through that accidental souring of the dough which； it is supposed；
taught the leavening process； and through the various fermentations
thereafter； till I came to 〃good； sweet； wholesome bread；