Chap. II.] RuTA Bac.\ culture. 63 



in the first field, and on the 20th of July in the second 

 field, I planted 'my plants. I ascertained to an exact- 

 ness, that there were thirty-three tons to an acre, 

 throughout the whole seventeen acres. After this, 1 

 never used any other method. 1 never saw above half 

 as great a crop in any other person's land ; and, though 

 we read of much greater in ar/riciiltural prize reports, 

 they must have been of the extent of a single acre, or 

 something in that way. In my usual order, the ridges 

 four feet asunder, and tlie plants afoot asunder on the 

 ridge, there were ten thousand eiyht hundred and thirty 

 turnips on the acre of ground ; and, therefore, lor an 

 acre to weigh thirty-three tons, each turnip must weigh 

 very nearly seven pounds. After the time here spoken 

 of, I had an acre or two at the end of a large field, 

 transplanted on the 13th of July, which probably, 

 weighed Jiffy tons an acre. I delayed to have them 

 weighed till a firo happened in some of my farm build- 

 ingSj which produced a lurther delay, and so the thing 

 was not done at all ; but, I weighed one nagon load, 

 the turnips of which averaged eleven pounds each; and 

 several weighed fourteen pounds each. My very largest 

 upon Long Island weighed tuelve pounds and a half. In 

 all these cases, as well here as in England, the produce 

 was from transplanted plants ; though at Hyde Park, I 

 have many turnips of more than ten pounds weight eacli 

 from soun plants, some of w hich, on account of the great 

 perfection in their qualities, I have selected, and am 

 now planting out, for seed. 



71. I will now give a full account of my transplantin"- 

 at Hyde Park. In a part of the ground which was put 

 into ridges and sowii, I scattered the seed along very 

 thinly upon the top of the ridge. But, however thinlv 

 you may attempt to scatter such small seeds, there Mill 

 always be too many plants, if the tillage be good and the 

 seed good also. I suffered these ])lants to stand as they 

 came up ; and, they stood much too long, on account of 

 my want of hands, or, ratlier, my want ot' time to attend 

 to give my directions in the transplanting ; and, indeed, 

 my c.r«H.7>/e too ; for, Imetnotwitii a man who knew 

 how to Jix a plant in the ground ; and, strange as it may 

 appear, more than half the bulk of crop depends on a 



