96 RuTA Baga culture. [Part I. 



their size, or rather bulk. However, as they would 

 eat very little during the first 60 days ot" their age, 1 have 

 rather over-rated their consumption. 



146. Three cows and four worlung oxen would, dur- 

 ing the 150 days, consume about one thousand bushels, 

 which, indeed, would be more than sufficient, because, 

 during a great part of the time, they would more than 

 half live upon corn-stalks; and, indeed, this, to a cer- 

 tain extent, would be the case with the sheep. How- 

 ever, as I mean that every thing should be of a good 

 size, and live well, I make ample provision. 



147. I should want, then, to raise^ve hundred bushels 

 of Ruta Baga upon each of my twelve acres; and why 

 should I not do it, seeing that I have this year raised 

 six hundred and forty bushels upon an acre, under cir- 

 cumstances such as I have stated them ? I lay it down, 

 therefore, that, with a culture as good as that "of Indian 

 corn, any man may, on this island (where corn will 

 grow) have 500 bushels to the acre. 



148. I am now come to the first of July. My oxen 

 are fatted and disposed of. My lambs are gone to 

 market, the last of them a month ago. My pigs are 

 weaned and of a good size. And now my Ruta Baga is 

 gone. But my ewes, kept well through the winter, will 

 soon be fat upon the 12 acres of orchard and the hay- 

 ground, aided by my three acres of early cabbages, 

 which are now fit to begin cutting, or, rather, pulling 

 up. The weight of this crop may be made very great 

 indeed. Ten thousand plants will stand upon an acre, 

 in four feet ridges, and every plant ought to weigh three 

 pounds at least. I have shewn before how advantage- 

 ously Ruta Baga transplanted would follow these cab- 

 bages, all through the months of July and August. But 

 what a crop of Buck-icheat would follow such of the 

 cabbages as came off in July ! My cabbages, together 

 with my hay-fields and grain-fields after harvest, and 

 about forty or fifty wagon loads of Ruta Baga greens 

 would carry me along well till December (the cabbages 

 being planted a different times) ; for my ewes would be 

 sold fat in July, and my pigs would be only increasing in 

 demand for food j and the new hundred ewes need not, 



