Chap. II.] RuTA Baga culture. ' 57 



should be rolled, if the weather be dry ; and, indeed, 

 that all seeds should be pressed doAvn, if the state of the 

 earth vvill admit of it. 



54. This mode of sowing is neither tedious nor ex- 

 pensive. Two men sowed the whole of my seven acres 

 in the three days, which, when we consider the value 

 of the crop, and the saving in the after-culture, is really 

 not worth mentioning. I do not think, that any sowing 

 by drill is so good, or, in the end, so cheap as this. 

 Drills miss very often in the sowings of such small 

 seeds. However, the thing may be done by hand in a 

 less precise manner. One man Mould have sown the 

 seven acres in a day, by just scattering the seeds along 

 on the top of the ridge, where they might have been 

 buried with the rake, and pressed down by a spade or 

 shovel or some other flat instrument. A slight roller to 

 take two ridges at once, the horse walking in the gutter 

 between, is what I used to make use of when I sowed 

 on ridges ; and, who can want such a roller in America, 

 as long as he has an axe and an auger in his house ? 

 Indeed, this whole matter is such a trifle, when com- 

 pared with the importance of the object, that it is not to 

 be believed, that any man will think it worth the small- 

 est notice as counted amongst the means of obtaining 

 that object. 



55. Broad cast sowing will, however, probably be, 

 in most cases, preferred ; and, this mode of sowing is 

 pretty well understood from general experience. What 

 is required here, is, that the ground be well ploughed, 

 finel\- harrowed, and the seeds thinly and evenh' sown 

 over it, to the amount of about two pounds of seed to an 

 acre ! but, then, if the weather be dry, the seed should, 

 by all means be rolled down. When I have spoken 

 of the after-culUire, 1 shall compare the two methods 

 of sowing, the ridr/e and the broad-cast, in order tha 

 the reader may be the better able to say, which of the 

 two is entitled to the preference. 



After-cultitre. 



56. In relating what I did in this respect, I shall tak 

 it for granted, that the reader Avill understand me 

 describing what I think ought to be done. 



D 5 



