`` Good-by , my boys ; I must go now , but I leave you with our new Professor of Natural History ; '' and Mrs. Jo went away well pleased with that composition day . CHAPTER XVIII . CROPS The gardens did well that summer , and in September the little crops were gathered in with much rejoicing . Jack and Ned joined their farms and raised potatoes , those being a good salable article . They got twelve bushels , counting little ones and all , and sold them to Mr. Bhaer at a fair price , for potatoes went fast in that house . Emil and Franz devoted themselves to corn , and had a jolly little husking in the barn , after which they took their corn to the mill , and came proudly home with meal enough to supply the family with hasty-pudding and Johnny-cake for a lone time . They would not take money for their crop ; because , as Franz said , `` We never can pay Uncle for all he has done for us if we raised corn for the rest of our days . '' Nat had beans in such abundance that he despaired of ever shelling them , till Mrs. Jo proposed a new way , which succeeded admirably . The dry pods were spread upon the barn-floor , Nat fiddled , and the boys danced quadrilles on them , till they were thrashed out with much merriment and very little labor . Tommy 's six weeks ' beans were a failure ; for a dry spell early in the season hurt them , because he gave them no water ; and after that he was so sure that they could take care of themselves , he let the poor things struggle with bugs and weeds till they were exhausted and died a lingering death . So Tommy had to dig his farm over again , and plant peas . But they were late ; the birds ate many ; the bushes , not being firmly planted , blew down , and when the poor peas came at last , no one cared for them , as their day was over , and spring-lamb had grown into mutton . Tommy consoled himself with a charitable effort ; for he transplanted all the thistles he could find , and tended them carefully for Toby , who was fond of the prickly delicacy , and had eaten all he could find on the place . The boys had great fun over Tom 's thistle bed ; but he insisted that it was better to care for poor Toby than for himself , and declared that he would devote his entire farm next year to thistles , worms , and snails , that Demi 's turtles and Nat 's pet owl might have the food they loved , as well as the donkey . So like shiftless , kind-hearted , happy-go-lucky Tommy ! Demi had supplied his grandmother with lettuce all summer , and in the autumn sent his grandfather a basket of turnips , each one scrubbed up till it looked like a great white egg . His Grandma was fond of salad , and one of his Grandpa 's favorite quotations was , `` Lucullus , whom frugality could charm , Ate roasted turnips at the Sabine farm . '' Therefore these vegetable offerings to the dear domestic god and goddess were affectionate , appropriate , and classical . Daisy had nothing but flowers in her little plot , and it bloomed all summer long with a succession of gay or fragrant posies . She was very fond of her garden , and delved away in it at all hours , watching over her roses , and pansies , sweet-peas , and mignonette , as faithfully and tenderly as she did over her dolls or her friends .
Little nosegays were XXXXX into town on all occasions , and certain vases about the house were her especial care .
ate bloomed consoled declared eaten go pay sent shelling supply