Chap. II.] RuTA Baga culture. 65 



but, I must here mention another transplantation that I 

 made in the latter end of July. A plot of ground, oc- 

 cupied bv one of my earliest sowings, had the turnips 

 standing in it in rows at eighteen inches asunder, and at 

 a ,foot asimder in the rows. Towards the middle of 

 July I found, that one half of the rows must be taken 

 away, or that the whole would be of little value. 

 Having pulled up the plants, I intended to translate 

 them (as they say of Bishops) from the garden to the 

 field ; but, I had no ground ready. However, I did not 

 like to throw away these plants, which had already 

 bidbs as large as hens' eggs. They were carried into 

 the cellar, where they lay in a heap, till (which would 

 soon happen hi such liot weather) they began to fer- 

 ment. This made the most of their leaves turn white. 

 Unwilling, still, to throw them away, I next laid them 

 ore the grass iri the front of the house, where they got 

 the dews in the niglit, and they were covered with a 

 mat during the day, except two days, when they were 

 overlooked, or, rather, neglected. The heat was very 

 great, and, at last, supposing these plants rfeac/, I did 

 not cover them any more. There they lay aban- 

 doned till the 24fh of July, on which day I began 

 planting Cabbages in my field. I then thought, that 1 

 would try the hardiness of a Rufa Baga plant. I took 

 these same abandoned plants, without a morsel of green 

 lei't about them ; planted them in part of a row of the 

 piece of cabbages ; and they, a hundred and six in 

 mnnber, weighed, when they were taken up, in Decem- 

 ber, nirie httndred and one pounds. One of these turnips 

 Aveighed tirelce poinids and a half. 



76. But, it ought to be obsened, that this was in 

 ground which had been got up in my best manner ; that 

 it had some of the best of my maiuire: and, that un- 

 common pains were taken by myself in the putting in of 

 tlie plants. This experiment shows, what a hardy 

 plant this is ; but, I must caution the reader against a 

 belief, that it is either desirable or prudent to put 

 this quality to so severe a test. There is no necessity 

 for it, in general ; and, indeed, the rule is, that the 

 shorter time the plants are out of the ground the 

 better. 



