THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 33 



RUTA BAGA. 

 Description of the Plant. 



u The Leaf of every other sort of turnip is of a yel- 

 lowish green ; but the leaf of the Ruta Baga is of a 

 blueish green, like the green of peas when of their 

 full size, or like the green of a young and thrifty 

 Yorkshire Cabbage ; hence it is called tkc ttiooage- 

 Turnip. The characteristics that most decidedly 

 distinguish this root are these : the outside of the 

 bulb of the Ruta Baga is of a greenish hue, mixed 

 towards the top with a colour bordering upon the red ; 

 and the inside, if they are true and pure, is of a deep 

 yellow^ nearly the colour of gold." 



Mode of saving and pre serving the Seed. 



" The Ruta Baga is apt to degenerate, if the seed is 

 not saved with care. In England, we select the fair- 

 est roots, and of the best form, for seed, rejecting all 

 such as are of a whitish colour, or greenish towards 

 the neck, prefering such as are of a reddish cast. 

 These, when selected, should be carefully preserved 

 over the winter, and set in the month of , March or 

 April in a rich soil, remote from any roots of the Tur- 

 nip, or Cabbage kind, to preserve the seed pure and 

 unmixed. Two or three roots, if they do well, will 

 yield seed sufficient for an acre of land. Let the 

 seed remain in the pods until the time of sowing." 



Time of Sowing. 



" The time of sowing may be from the 25th of June 

 to the 16th of July, as circumstances may be: as the 

 result of all my experiments will fully show." 



Quality and preparation of the Land. 

 : - As a fine, rich, loose garden mould, of great depth. 



