Chap. II.] RuTA Baga culture. 4Q 



Mode of saving and of prcservmg the Seed. 



31. This is rather a nice business, and should be, by 

 no means, executed in a negligent manner. For, on 

 the well attending to this, much of the seed depends : 

 and, it is quite surprising how great losses are, in the 

 end, frequently sustained by the saving in this part of 

 the business, of an hour's labour or attention. I one 

 year lost more than half of what would have been an 

 immense crop, by a mere piece of negligence in my 

 bailiff as to the seed : and I caused a similar loss to a 

 gentleman in Berkshire, who had his seed out of the 

 same parcel that mine was taken from, and who had 

 sent many miles lor it, in order to have the best in 

 the world. 



32. The Ruta Baga is ai^t to degenerate, if tJie seed 

 be not saved with care. We, in England, select the 

 plants to be saved for seed. We examine well to find 

 out those that run least into iieck and green. AVe reject 

 all such as approach at all towards a ichitish colour, 

 or Avhich are even of a greenish colour toicards the 7ieck, 

 where there ought to be a little reddish cast. 



33. Having selected the plants with great care, we 

 take them up out of the place where they have grown, 

 and plant them in a plot distant from every thing of the 

 turni]) or cabbage kind which. is to bear seed. In this 

 Island, I am now, at this time, planting mine for seed 

 (27th March,) taking all our English precautions. If 

 is probable, that they would do very well, if taken out 

 of a heap to be transplanted, if well selected ; but, lest 

 this should not do well, I have kept my selected plants 

 all the M'inter in the ground in my garden, well covered 

 with corn-stalks and leaves from the trees ; and, indeed, 

 this is so very little a matter to do, that it would be 

 monstrous to suppose, that any farmer would neglect it 

 on account of the labour and trouble; especially Avhen 

 we consider, that the seed of two or three turnips is more 

 than sufficient to sow an acre of land. 1, on one occasion, 

 planted twenty turnips for seed, and the produce, be- 

 sides what the little birds took as their share for havina: 



D 



