Which excerpt from “The Bean-Field” most effectively supports the idea that Thoreau believes the higher purpose in cultivating crops is to develop self-discipline and an appreciation for humanity?

(Select all that apply.)
The Bean Field
Bread may not always nourish us; but it always does us good, it even takes stiffness out of our joints, and makes us supple and buoyant, when we knew not what ailed us, to recognize any generosity in man or Nature, to share any unmixed and heroic joy.
Commonly men will only be brave as their fathers were brave, or timid. This generation is very sure to plant corn and beans each new year precisely as the Indians did centuries ago and taught the first settlers to do …
But labor of the hands, even when pursued to the verge of drudgery, is perhaps never the worst form of idleness. It has a constant and imperishable moral, and to the scholar it yields a classic result.
The true husbandman will cease from anxiety, as the squirrels manifest no concern whether the woods will bear chestnuts this year or not, and finish his labor with every day, relinquishing all claim to the produce of his fields, and sacrificing in his mind not only his first but his last fruits also.

A?

I agree.

and B?

Not B.

A and C?

The answers are C and D.

"But labor of the hands, even when pursued to the verge of drudgery, is perhaps never the worst form of idleness. It has a constant and imperishable moral, and to the scholar it yields a classic result."
and
"The true husbandman will cease from anxiety, as the squirrels manifest no concern whether the woods will bear chestnuts this year or not, and finish his labor with every day, relinquishing all claim to the produce of his fields, and sacrificing in his mind not only his first but his last fruits also."

The excerpts that most effectively support the idea that Thoreau believes the higher purpose in cultivating crops is to develop self-discipline and an appreciation for humanity are A and C.

Excerpt A states that bread may not always nourish us physically, but it always does us good in other ways. Thoreau suggests that consuming bread allows us to recognize generosity in both humans and nature and to experience joy. This supports the idea that cultivating crops, such as beans, goes beyond mere sustenance and has a deeper purpose in developing our appreciation for humanity and the natural world.

Excerpt C suggests that laboring in the fields, even when it becomes drudgery, is not the worst form of idleness. Thoreau argues that this kind of physical labor has a constant and imperishable moral quality. Additionally, he notes that it yields a classic result to scholars. This supports the idea that cultivating crops is not only a means of physical sustenance but also a means of personal development and moral growth.

Therefore, both excerpts A and C effectively support the idea that Thoreau believes cultivating crops serves a higher purpose beyond mere sustenance.

A and C are probably the best.