40 , THE BEE, OR DeC. 22, 



terary world, I am alTured, that after this plant has fully 

 perfefted its feeds, the bulb ftill continues frefli and fuccu- 

 lent, and fit for ufe by cattle. On mentioning this faft to 

 another gentleman who had cultivated the Swedifti turnip 

 on a large fcale, he confirmed this obfervation by the fol- 

 lowing fai5l, which accidentally came to his knowledge. 

 He had faved fome feeds of it in his garden : and his gar- 

 dener, as ufu.il on reaping the feeds of turnips, pujled up the 

 bulbs, and threw them into a walle corner without the gar- 

 den walls. There they were allowed to remain neglecled 

 above ground for feveral weeks. In pafling that way, , he 

 accidentally ftruck one of them with his foot ; and finding 

 it firm, he took it up. The weight furprifed him. On 

 cutting it up, he found it frefli and fit for ufe. He carried 

 It as a curiofity into the kitchen, where it was drefled and 

 ferved up to table ; and my informant eat of it, and found 

 it very good. 



On exprefllng my furprife at this fingular quality to my 

 Norfolk correfpondent, he writes me of date as late as the 

 6th December, in thefe words : 



" I have nothing to mention to you on the fubjeft of 

 experimental agriculture at prefent, except that I have had 

 an eye witnefs to the foundnefs of the bulbs of the Ruta 

 Baga, after they had perfefted their feeds, in a gentleman 

 who is fo near you, that I wi(h to refer you to him for an 

 account of their appearance on the JiiJ^ of September laji. 

 Doclor Andrew Coventry, the new agricultural profeflbr at 

 Edinburgh, having done me the honour to pay me a viu;. 

 I carried him to the place where they grew, and there find 

 ing fome of the roots remaining in the ground, we pullc 

 one or two up, and found them in tlie ftate I mentioncti 

 not a little to his furprife as Avell as fatisfaclion j as tht 

 thereby promife to be a moil valuable acquifition to tin 

 huibandman." Every farmer will know how to ellimate 

 the value of fuch a plant. It promifes to fupply a defidera- 

 tum in hufhandry that has been fought for in vain, ever 

 fince the introduction of turnips. 



To he co7itintied. 

 In oui- next will be given a curfory view of the prsfent {late of Europe, 



as at! introdudlion to the Hiftorical Chronicle, which is intended only" 



to begin with the new year. Our lill of books will commence at th£ 



Came period. 



