68 RuTA Baoa culture. [Part I. 



all this takes place; and the fresh earth will, under any 

 sun, supply moisture in quantity sufficient. 



81. Yet in July and August, both in England and 

 America, hov,' many thousands and thousands are wait- 

 ing for a shower to put out their plants ! And then, 

 when the long-wished-for shower comes^ they must plant 

 upon stale ground, for thoy have it dug ready, as it 

 were, for the purpose of keeping them company in wait- 

 ing for the shower. Thus all the fermentations which 

 took place upon the digging, is gone ; and, when the 

 planting has once taken place, farewell to the spade ! 

 For, it appears to he a privilege of the Indian com to 

 receive something like good usage after beiiig planted. 

 It is very strange that it should have been thus, for 

 Avhat reason is there for other plants not enjoying a si- 

 milar benefit ] The reason is, that they will produce 

 something without it ; and the Indian corn Avill posi- 

 tively ])roduce nothing; for which the Indian corn is 

 very much to be commended. As an instance of this 

 effect [of deeply moving the earth between growing 

 crops, I will menti>)n, that, in the month of June, and 

 on the 26th of that month, a very kind neighbour of 

 mine, in whose garden I was, showed nie a plot of 

 Green Savoy Cabbages, which he had planted in some 

 ground as rich as ground could be. He had planted 

 them about three weeks before; and they appeared 

 very fine indeed. In the seed bed, from Mhich he had 

 taken his plants, there remained about a hundred; but, 

 as they had been left as of no use, they had drawn each 

 other up, in company with the weeds, till they were 

 about eighteen inches high, having only a starved leaf 

 or two upon the top of each. I asked my neighbour to 

 give me these plants, Mhich he readily did ; but begged 

 me not to plant them, for, he assured me, that they 

 would come to nothing. Indeed, they Avere a ragged 

 lot ; but, I had no plants of my omti sowing more than 

 two inches high. I, thcFcfore, took these plants and 

 dug some ground for them between some rows of scarlet 

 blossomed beans, which mount upon poles. I cut a 

 stick on purpose, and put the plants very deep into the 

 ground. My beans came off in August, and then the 

 ground was well dug between the rows of cabbages. 



