LRN: 99D2621 Project Number: WTM-HT25 - 4 I Thoreau and Agriculture An Interactive Qualifying Project Report: submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by Christopher M. Lawson Date: May 6, 1999 Approved: Professor Wesley Mott, Major Advisor Abstract Thoreau's writings while at Walden are reflective of his farming experience. The objective of this IQP is to engage in research regarding the agricultural techniques utilized by Henry David Thoreau during his two-year stay at Walden Pond, examining "The Role of Agriculture in Nineteenth-Century American Literature. This was done through a combination of field and archival research, and showed how Thoreau's farming acumen affected the rhetorical design of his writing. Acknowledgements There are many people to thank for their help towards the completion of this IQP. Most notably were Helen Bowdoin, Leslie Wilson, Professor Wesley Mott, Professor Kent Ljungquist, The Thoreau Society, The American Antiquarian Society, Dr. Wayne Rasmussen, and God. All contributed significant aid to the writers endeavors. 1 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Background 4 Literature Review 9 Methodology 18 Methods of Soil Analysis at Concord 25 Thoreau and his Beans: A Philosophy 31 Selected Bibliography 34 Appendix A: The Thoreau Institute 36 Appendix B: Letters of Introduction 39 Appendix C: Characteristics of Different Soil Types 41 Appendix D: Soil Graph 43 Appendix E: Massachusetts' Soils 45 Appendix F: Soil Testing 46 Appendix G: Sustainable Agriculture and Suitability 48 Appendix H: Soil Analysis Data 52 2 Introduction Agriculture has altered the course of civilization in a manner that is unparalleled. More than any other human accomplishment, it has been the foundation from which societies have arisen. It has brought about specialization of labor, which in turn has allowed technology and science to develop. The accrual of agricultural knowledge has improved the standard of living of countless individuals; indeed, without food, no intellectual or technical endeavor of any depth could have possibly arisen. Frequently, this premise is conveniently overlooked. One intellectual who embraced this cradle of humankind, in its most vital form, was Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was a major proponent of the Transcendentalist movement that advocated a return to the simpler, natural way of life. The account of his famous two year at Walden Pond, living a life of subsistence, growing his own food, returning to primordial crux of human invention, made famous his philosophy of austere living. The experience was made popular through Walden, a lengthy essay drawn from his journals, which were in part, a reflection of his experience. The depiction of farming as a means of attaining self-knowledge is recurrently connoted within the exposition. Farming provided Thoreau with the chance to contemplate life, the essence of a natural world that he so adored; society became the kinship between him and his farm. Thoreau was not an entirely able farmer; rather, he was an observer of natural processes. His farming scholarship was gained ad hoc, the result of experience. Many of his farming methods were not modern, but were based upon his interpretation and ideology regarding the nature of agriculture. Similarly, Thoreau's writings while at Walden are reflective of his farming experience. 3 The objective of this IQP is to engage in research regarding the agricultural techniques utilized by Henry David Thoreau during his two year stay at Walden Pond, examining "The Role of Agriculture in Nineteenth-Century American Literature." This will be accomplished through a variety of ways, with the aim of gaining insight into his works. Numerous interviews were arranged with leading Thoreauvian scholars living in Concord. Many on-site examinations, including both soil and landscape analysis, were conducted in the hope of understanding the reality of farming in the early 1800's. Much of the information was obtained through archival research, which contributed substantial data as to how agricultural discourse and Thoreau's acumen affected the rhetorical design of his writing. 4 Background Agriculture, more than any other human endeavor, has altered the course of civilization; it is a common basis from which societies have arisen. It brought about specialization of labor, which in turn allowed technology and science to be pursued. Indeed, agriculture is the very foundation of technology; without a substantial supply of food, no intellectual or technical endeavor of any depth can possibly arise. All too often, this simple premise is conveniently forgotten. One intellectual who embraced this cradle of humankind was Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was a major proponent of the Transcendentalist movement who advocated the return to a simpler, natural way of life. During his famous two year stay at Walden Pond he lived a life of subsistence, growing his own food, returning to the primordial crux of human invention. His account of the experience was made popular through Walden, a lengthy essay drawn from his journals, which were in part, a reflection of his experience. The image of farming as a means of attaining self-knowledge is repeatedly alluded to within the text. Farming afforded Thoreau the opportunity to ponder life, the essence of a natural world that he so cherished; society became the relationship between nature, him, and his crops. Concord, where Thoreau resided for most of his life, was a farming community. Furthermore, most Concordian farmers were subsistence farmers, who grew only enough to support their families, and trade the scarce remainder for the goods they needed to survive. This usually proved a difficult ordeal, since the native soil was not fertile, and massive fertilization had to take place. Many who grew up in Concord, including Thoreau, learned to appreciate the precarious nature of life's struggles. 5 Thoreau's time in Concord was marked by the Agricultural Revolution, which changed the way farming was undertaken. The construction of the Concord-Boston railroad during the early 1840's opened new markets to farmers, and signaled the shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture "After its completion, more Concordian farmers who had been relying on self subsistence and local trade began using the Boston Market and shipping a greater variety of products" (Rasmussen 7). This change horrified Thoreau, as well as many other local farmers. To a great degree this attitude was reflected in his writing; societal problems often affected the workings of Thoreau's expositions. While at Harvard, Thoreau was a serious student of the traditional classics. Works such as Ovid, Virgil, Cicero, and Plutarch, which inherently include many volumes that deal extensively with classical agriculture, were among those he studied. Certainly, he found appeal in the philosophical manner that these agricultural works were constructed, as opposed to the contemporary works available to him. Examination of his farming techniques is likewise indicative of the techniques found in these works. In staying at Walden, Thoreau learned to "suck the marrow of life." In order to do this he had to concentrate on the necessities of living, which he defined as Shelter, Clothing, Fuel, and Food. His belief was that by living simply he could concentrate on more important endeavors. To further this end he built his own house, made his own clothing, collected fuel on his own, and grew his food. His survival became dependent upon his farming sagacity. Unfortunately, Thoreau's farming astuteness was earned through experiencing many setbacks and failures. In this regard, Thoreau learned a special respect for agricultural endeavors. Farming was more than simply a philosophy 6 to him; it became a reality that he faced every day. After all, hunger tends to make one appreciate sources of sustenance. Thoreau's initial farming endeavors met with limited success. He encountered great difficulty when he first attempted to prepare his field for cultivation. I planted about two acres and a half of upland; and as it was only about fifteen years since the land was cleared, and I myself had got out two or three cords of stumps, I did not give it any manure; but in the course of the summer it appeared by the arrowheads which I turned up in hoeing, that an extinct nation had anciently dwelt here and planted corn and beans ere white men came to clear the land, and so, to some extent, had exhausted the soil for this very crop (Walden, The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 1800). His first harvest, though by no means a complete failure, did not yield a substantial crop. This was further hampered by his unpreparedness for the severity of his first winter while at Walden. Subsequently, his antiquated farming techniques were just not as effective as contemporary methods. This, in addition to his awkwardly reclusive nature, resulted in ridicule from many of his farmer neighbors. Throughout the remainder of his life, Thoreau regarded many Concordian farmers with an air of antagonism. In time, Thoreau did manage to successfully till his field. The planting of his bean field marked a transition in his farming career. Meanwhile my beans, the length of whose rows, added together, was seven miles already planted, were impatient to be hoed, for the earliest had grown considerably before the latest were in the ground; indeed they were not easily to be put off. What was the meaning of this so steady and self-respecting, this small Herculean labor, I knew not. I came to love my rows, my beans, though so many more than I wanted. They attached me to the earth, and so I got strength like Antaeus. But why should I raise them? Only Heaven knows. This was my curious labor all summer- to make this portion of the earth's surface, which had yielded only cinquefoil, blackberries, johnswort, and the like, before, sweet wild fruits and pleasant flowers, produce instead this pulse.