54 RuTA Baga culture. [Part. I. 



Quality and Preparation of the Seed. 



45. As a fine, rich, loose garden mould, of great 

 depth, and having a porous stratum under it, is best for 

 every thing that vegetates, except plants that live best 

 in water, so it is best for the Ruta Baga. But, I know of 

 no soil in the United Slates, in which this root may not 

 be cultivated with the greatest facility. A pvre sand, 

 or a very stiff" day, would not do well, certainly ; but I 

 have never seen any of either in America. The soil 

 that I cultivate is jjoo/- almost proverbially ; but, what it 

 really is, is this: it is a light loam, approaching towards 

 the sandy. It is of a brownish colour about eight inches 

 deep ; then becomes more of a red for about another 

 eight inches ; and then comes a mixture of yelloAvish sand 

 and of pebbles, which continues dowTi to the depth of 

 many feet. 



46. So much for the nature of the land. As to its 

 state, it was that of as complete poverty as can well be 

 imagined. My main crop of Ruta Baga was sown upon 

 two different pieces. One, of about three acres, had 

 borne, in 1816, some Indian corn stalks, together with 

 immense quantities of brambles, grass, and weeds, of 

 all descriptions. The other, of about four acres, had, 

 when I took to it, rye growing on it; but, this rye was 

 so poor, that my neighbour assured me, that it could 

 produce nothing, and he advised me to let the cattle and 

 sheep take it for their trouble of walking over the ground, 

 which advice I readily followed ; but, when he heard 

 me say, that I intended to sow Russia turnips on the 

 same ground, he very kindly told me his opinion of the 

 matter, which Avas, that I should certainly throw my 

 labour wholly away. 



47. With these two pieces of groimd I went to work 

 early in June. I ploughed them very shallow, thinking 

 to drag the grassy clods up Avith the han'ow, to put 

 them in heaps and burn them, in which case I would 

 (barring the ^y !), have pledged my life for a crop of 

 Ruta Baga. It adversely happened to rain, when my 

 clods should have been burnt, and the furrows were so 

 solidly fixed down by the rain, that I could not tear 



