RUT A BAG A CULTURE 



result of my experiments will now show. The plants sown 

 during the first fifteen days of June grew well, and attained great 

 size and weight ; but, though they did not actually go off to seed, 

 they were very little short of so doing. They rose into large and 

 long necks, and sent out sprouts from the upper part of the bulb ; 

 and, then, the bulb itself (which is the thing sought after) swelled 

 no more. The substance of the bulb became hard and stringy ; 

 and the turnips, upon the whole, were smaller and of greatly 

 inferior quality, compared with those which were sown at the 

 proper time. 



41. The turnips sown between the i$th and 26th of June, had 

 all these appearances arid quality, only in a less degree. But, 

 those which were sown on the 26th of June, were perfect in shape, 

 size, and quality ; and, though I have grown them larger in 

 England, it was not done without more manure upon half an acre 

 than I scratched together to put upon seven acres at Hyde Park ; 

 but of this I shall speak more particularly when I come to the 

 quantity of crop. 



42. The sowings which were made after the 26th of June, and 

 before the loth of July, did very well ; and, one particular sowing 

 on the 9th of July, on 12 rods, or perches, of ground, sixteen and 

 a half feet to the rod, yielded 62 bushels, leaves and roots cut off, 

 which is after the rate of 992 bushels to an acre. But this sowing 

 was on ground extremely well prepared and sufficiently manured 

 with ashes from burnt earth : a mode of raising manure of which 

 I shall fully treat in a future chapter. 



43. Though this crop was so large, sown on the 9th of July, I 

 would by no means recommend any farmer, who can sow sooner, 

 to defer the business to that time ; for, I am of opinion, with the 

 old folk in the West of England, that God is almost always on the 

 side of early farmers. Besides, one delay too often produces 

 another delay ; and he who puts off to the 9th may put off to the 

 1 9th. 



44. The crops, in small plots, which I sowed after the gth of 

 July to the soth of that month, grew very well ; but they regularly 

 succeeded each other in diminution of size ; and, which is a great 

 matter, the cold weather overtook them before they were ripe : 

 and ripeness is full as necessary in the case of roots as in the case 

 of apples or of peaches. 



Quality and Preparation of the Seed. 



45. As a fine, rich, loose garden mould, of great depth, and 

 having a porous stratum under it, is best for every thing that 

 vegetates, except plants that live best in water, so it is best for the 

 Ruta Baga. But, I know of no soil in the United States, in which 

 this root may not be cultivated with the greatest facility. A pure 

 sand, or a very stiff day, would not do well, certainly ; but I have 



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