RUTA BAG A CULTURE 



146. Three cows and four working oxen would, during 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 certain 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 made ample provision. 



147. I should want, then, to raise five hundred bushels of Ruta 

 Baga upon each of rny 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 circumstances 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 1 2 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 shown before how advan 

 tageously Ruta Baga transplanted would follow these cabbages, 

 all through the months of July and August. But what a crop of 

 Buck-wheat would follow such of the cabbages as came off in 

 July I My cabbages, together with my hay-fields and grain- 

 fields after harvest, and about forty or fifty waggon-loads of Ruta 

 Baga greens, would carry me along well till December (the cab 

 bages being planted at different times) ; for, my ewes would be 

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

 for food ; and the new hundred ewes need not, and ought not, to 

 be kept so well as if they were fatting, or had lambs by their side. 



149. From the first of December to the first of February, 

 Mangel Wurzel and white turnips would keep the sheep and cattle 

 and breeding sows plentifully ; for the latter will live well upon 

 Mangel Wurzel ; and my hundred hogs, intended for fatting, 

 would be much more than half fat upon the carrots and parsnips. 

 I should, however, more probably keep my parsnips till Spring, 

 and mix the feeding with carrots with the feeding with corn 

 for the first month or fifteen days, with regard to the fatting hogs. 

 None of these hogs would require more than three bushels of 

 corn each to finish them completely. My other three hundred 

 bushels would be for sows giving suck ; the ewes, now and then 

 in wet weather ; and for other occasional purposes. 



150. Thus all my hay and oats, and wheat and rye might be 

 sold, leaving me the straw for litter. These, surely, would pay 

 the rent and the labour ; and, if I am told, that I have taken no 



G 77 



