RUT A BAG A CULTURE 



same tricks again ; for that nations, like rational individuals, are 

 not deceived twice in the same way. 



112. Thus have I spoken of the time and manner of harvesting, 

 as they took place with me. And, surely, the expense is a mere 

 trifle. Two oxen and four men would harvest two acres in any 

 clear day in the latter end of November ; and thus is this immense 

 crop harvested, and covered completely, for about tzvo dollars and 

 a half an acre. It is astonishing, that this is never done in 

 England ! For, though it is generally said, that the Ruta Baga 

 will stand any weather ; I know, by experience, that it will not 

 stand any weather. The winter of the year 1814, that is to say, 

 the months of January and February, were very cold, and a great 

 deal of snow fell ; and, in a piece of twelve acres, I had, in the 

 month of March, two thirds of the turnips completely rotten : and 

 these were amongst the finest that I ever grew, many of them 

 weighing twelve pounds each. Besides, when taken up in dry 

 weather, before the freezings and thawings begin, the dirt all falls 

 off ; and the bulbs are clean and nice to be given to cattle or sheep 

 in the stalls or yards. For, though we in general feed off these 

 roots upon the land with sheep, we cannot, in deep land, always do 

 it. The land is too wet : and particularly for ewes and lambs, 

 which are, in such cases, brought into a piece of pasture land, or 

 into a fold-yard, where the turnips are flung down to them in a 

 dirty state, just carted from the field. And, again, the land is very 

 much injured, and the labour augmented, by carting when the 

 ground is a sort of mud-heap, or rather, pool. All these incon 

 veniences and injuries would be avoided by harvesting in a dry 

 day in November, if such a day should, by an accident, be found 

 in England ; but, why not do the work in October, and sow wheat 

 at once, in the land ? More on this after-cropping, another 

 time. 



113. In Long Island, and throughout the United States, where 

 the weather is so fine in the fall ; where every day, from the 

 middle of October to the end of November (except a rainy day 

 about once in 16 days), is as fair as the fairest May-day in England, 

 and where such a thing as a water-furrow in a field was never 

 heard of ; in such a soil as this, and under such a climate as this, 

 there never can arise any difficulty in the way of the harvesting 

 of turnips in proper time. I should certainly do it in November : 

 for, as we have seen, a little frost does not affect the bulbs at all. 

 I would put them in when perfectly dry : make my heaps of about 

 fifty bushels ; and, when the frosts approached, I mean the hard 

 frosts, I would cover with corn-stalks, or straw, or cedar boughs, 

 as many of the heaps as I thought I should want in January and 

 February ; for, these coverings would so break the frost, as to 

 enable me to open the heaps in those severe months. It is use 

 less and inconvenient to take into barns, or out-houses, a very 

 large quantity at a time. Besides, if left uncovered, the very hard 

 frosts will do them harm. To be sure, this is easily prevented, 



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