[ 140 ] 



CHAP. VI. 



Swedish Tunxips. 



225. Upon this subject I have no great deal to add 

 toMhatvvas said in Part I. Chap. II. There are a 

 few things, however, that I omitted to mention, which I 

 will mention here. 



226. I sow my seed by hand. All machinery is im- 

 perfect for this purpose. The wheel of the drill meets 

 with a sudden check ; it jumps ; the holes are stopped ; 

 a clogging or an improper impelling takes place ; a gap 

 is produced, and it can never be put to rights ; and, 

 after all, the sowing upon four-feet rigdes is very nearly 

 as quickly performed by hand. I make the drills, or 

 channels, to sow the seed in by means of a light roller, 

 Avhich is drawn by a horse, which rolls two ridges at a 

 time, and which has two markers following the roller, 

 making a drill upon the top of each ridge. This saves 

 time ; but, if the hand do the whole, a man will draw 

 the drills, sow the seed, and cover an acre in a day 

 with ease. 



227. The only mischief in this case, is, that of sow- 

 ing too thick; and this arises from the seed being so 

 nearly of the coloiir of the earth. To ^uard against 

 this evil, I this year adopted a method which succeeded 

 perfectly. I xcetted the seed with Avater a little, I then 

 put some ivhiteninfj to it, and by rubbing them well 

 together, the seed became white instead of broion; 

 so that the man when sowing, could see what he was 

 about. 



228. In my directions for transplanting turnips I 

 omitted to mention one very important thing ; the care 

 to be taken 7iot to bttry the heart of the plant. I ob- 

 server! how necessary it was to fix the plant firmly hi 

 the ground; and, as the planter is strictly charged to do 

 this, he is apt to pay little attention to the means by 

 which the object is accomplished. The tiling is done 



