^24 On the Culture and Uj'e of Ruta Biiga. Nov. 



tatoes, and arifwered as jjood a purpofe in all refpeAs. They 

 were cle,iu w.tnied, and broke a little in a tub with a (harp fpade, 

 fo ?'; the horfr^s tt^L^th tni;j:ht readily get hold of them. This 

 lall 'pring, being f: niewliar afraid of a fcarcity of fodder, par- 

 tier, arly for a number of cattle which had got a few common 

 turnips through winter, I determined, about the ift of March, 

 to try my Swedifh turnip, and to ufe them with economy, fo as 

 to fccure a fupply o! food till the grafs fcafon arrived. For this 

 purpole, I took up thofe which grew upon a fall of land, and 

 having weighed the produce, I arranged the quantity to be given 

 dnily to the whole of my cattle and Iheep. In this way, I had 

 a iuitable fupply, till the whole was either fold or laid upon 

 gr lis. I had three acres in all, the produce of which amounted 

 to 14,400 Hone weight. 1 need hardly fay what would have 

 been my difficulty, fituated as 1 was with a large ftock of cattle 

 in hand, had I not been provided with a fuitable quantity of this 

 beneficial article. In fa£f, a few acres at that criricai period 

 of the year infures an advantage to the ftock farmer, not to be 

 obtained by the culture of any other variety of fprinc; food. 



Here, however, I have to relate, that, for the firft time, I 

 found, this fpring, feveral of the turnip failed, occahoned pro- 

 bably by the uncommon variablenefs of the weather. Some 

 part of the ground was of a loamy foil, and there the fail- 

 ure was greated, though it took place alfo partially upon 

 what was of a gravelly nature. This firfl: failure, tisough it 

 did not feem to exceed one hundredth part of the crop, is 

 a fevere dif;ippointment. I can alTure you, however, that I 

 have formerly had them half, or more, eaten by ilieep ; while 

 the remaining parts continued good and firm for feveral weeks 

 after, and were not, in that (late, injured by froft. If the fail- 

 ure of a few of them this year ariles from our climate having 

 altered the nature of the plant, the fame feed having been con- 

 tinued anl^ grown for ten or twelve years, this may be correct- 

 ed, by getting a frefli fupply from Sweden ; and if that is foujui 

 to anfwer the purpofe (like a renewal of Polilh or Frieilaiijl 

 oats), wc need be at no lofs to have the root in its perfection. 



I have only to add, that I remain, 

 Sir, 



Your mod humble fcrvanf, 



— M — T. 



Dumfrki/hire, ^th July 1804. 



