Chap. II.J RuTA Baga culture. 73 



ing, is to neglect the whole building. Were it a matter 

 of trifling moment, personal attention might be dis- 

 pensed with ; but, as I shall, I think, clearly show, this 

 is a matter of very great moment to every farmer. The 

 object is, not merely to get roots, but to get them of a 

 large size ; for, as I shall shoAv, there is an amazing 

 difference in this. And, large roots are not to be gotten 

 without care, Mhich, by the by, costs nothing. Besides, 

 the care bestowed in obtaining this crop, removes all 

 the million of cares and vexations of the Spring 

 months, when bleatings everlasting din the farmer al- 

 most out of his senses, and make him ready to knock 

 the brains out of the clamourous flock, M'hen he ought 

 to feel pleasure in the filling of their bellies. 



93. Having now done A\ith the different modes of 

 cropping the ground with Ruta Baga, I will, as I pro- 

 posed in paragraph 49, speak about the preparation of 

 the land generallij ; and in doing this, I shall suppose 

 the land to have borne a good crop of wheat the pre- 

 ce<ling year, and, of course, to be in good heart, as we 

 call it in England. 



94. I would plough this ground in the fall into ridges 

 four feet asunder. The ploughing should be very 

 deep, and the ridges well laid up. In this situation it 

 would, by the successive frosts and thaws, be shaken 

 and broken fine as powder by March or April. In 

 April, it should be turned back ; always ploughing 

 deep. A crop of weeds would be well set upon it by 

 the first of June, Avhen they should be smothered by 

 another turning back. Then, about the third week in 

 June, I would carry in my manure, and fling it along 

 on the trenches or furrows. After this I Mould follow 

 the turning back for the sowing, as is directed in para- 

 graph 50. Now, here are four ploughiugs. And what 

 is the cost of these ploughings? My man, a black man, 

 a native of this Island, ploughs, with his pair of oxen 

 and no driver, an acre and a half a day, and his oxen 

 keep their flesh extremely well upon the refuse of the 

 Ruta Baga which I send to market. What is the cost 

 then ? And, what a fine state the grass is thus brought 

 into ! A very different thing indeed is it to plough hard 

 ground, from what it is to plough grouud in this fine, 



£ 



