Chap. VI.] Swedish Tcunips. 145 



put too deep into the ground. But, the ridges of both 

 fields were too close together. Four feet is the distance. 

 You cannot plough clean and deep within a smaller 

 space without throwing the earth over the plants. But, 

 as bulk of crop is the object, it is very hard to persuade 

 people, that two rows are not better than one. Mr. Judge 

 Mitchell is a true disciple of the Tulliax System. 

 His rows were four feet asunder ; his ridges high ; all 

 according to rule. If I should be able to see his crop, 

 or him, before this volume goes to press, I will give some 

 account of the result of his labour. 



237. This year has shown me, that America is not 

 wholly exempt from that mortal enemy of turnips, the 

 yft/, which mawled some of mine, and which carried olf 



a whole piece for Mr Jcdc;e Lawuexce at Bay-side. 

 Mr. Bvrd says, that he thinks, that to soak the seed in 

 fish-oil is of use as a protection. It is very easy to try 

 it ; but, the best security is, pretty early sow ing thick, and 

 transplanting. However, this has been a, singular year ; 

 and, even this vear, the ravages of the Jly have been, 

 generally speaking, but trifling. 



238. Another enemy has, too, made his appearance : 

 the caterpillar ; which came about the tenth of October. 

 These eat the leaves ; and, sometimes, they will, as in 

 England, cat all vp, if left alone. In Mr. Bvrd's field, 

 they were proceeding on pretty rapidly, and, therefore, 

 he "took up his turnips earlier than he would have done. 



Wide rows are a great protection against these sinecure 

 gentry of the fields. They attacked me on the outside 

 of a piece joining some buck-wheat, where they had 

 been bred. When the buck-wheat was cut, they sal- 

 lied out upon the turnips, and, hke the spawn of real 

 Boroughmongers, they, after eating all the leaves of 

 the first row, went on to the second, and were thus pro- 

 ceeding to devour the whole. I went with my plough, 

 ploughed a deep furrow /i-o«i the rows of turnips, as 

 far as the caterpillars had gone. Just shook the plants 

 and gave the top of the ridge a bit of a sweep with a 

 little broom. Then buried them alive, by turning the 

 furrows back. Oh ; that the people of England could 

 treat the Borough-villians and their sa^ arms in the same 

 H 



