On the Cultivation of^Ruta Baga. 287 



thirty inches apart, into which the manure is filled from a 

 cart, at the rate of thirty common two horse loads of 

 good dung to the acre ; the plough then returning, throws 

 the furrow from each side ; so as to form a ridge (rather 

 flat than high) immediately over the manure, and upon 

 the crest of this, the hand drill is run with the seed, while 

 the ground is fresh ; over this it is the English practice 

 to run a heavy roller on two furrows at a time, the horse 

 or horses walking between them, at once to cover the 

 seed, and break the clods. I have also used the roller 

 for three years, but I found my soil so exceedingly apt 

 to bake, especially under our hot summer suns, and 

 withal that, if there were spaces requiring to be sown 

 again, it was difficult to break up the furrow, that I have 

 this year used a small light harrow with handles, to co- 

 ver the seed, running it lengthwise with the ridges, and 

 so as not materially to reduce them. 



I will here remark, that the best mode of getting in the 

 turnips expeditiously, is to collect upon the occasion one 

 man with a plough, first to lay out, and afterwards to 

 cover the furrows, a couple of carts with hands to put in 

 the manure, and one person on foot to run the drill ; 

 though where men and horses are scarce, the furrows 

 may be first opened, then filled and covered, drilled, 

 rolled or harrowed by the same person and horses in suc- 

 cession ; care, however, should be taken to finish what 

 is begun the same day ; the chief disadvantage in this 

 mode is, that it is not so expeditious, and if bad weather 

 occur, there are intervals in the growth of different parts 

 of the same field. 



The drill I use is one I brought from England, worked 

 by a wheel in front like a very light wheel-barrow. 



After sowing, the success of the crop rests upon thin- 



U u 



