118 HUTA BAGA CULTURE. [PART I. 



that nourishment, produced by the fermenta 

 tion, the dews, and particularly the sun, which 

 shines on all alike. I never saw a fiftieth part 

 so many weeds in my life upon a like space of 

 ground. Their little seed leaves, of various 

 hues, formed a perfect mat on the ground. 

 And now it was, that my wide ridges, which 

 had appeared to my neighbours to be so very 

 singular and so unnecessary, were absolutely 

 necessary. First we went with a hoe, and hoed 

 the tops of the ridges, about six inches wide. 

 There were all the plants, then, clear and clean 

 at once, 'with an expense of about half a day's 

 work to an acre. Then we came, in our Botley 

 fashion, with a single horse-plough, took a fur 

 row from the side of one ridge going up the 

 field, a furrow from the other ridge coming 

 down, then another furrow from the same side 

 of the first ridge going up, and another from 

 the same side of the other ridge coming down. 

 In the taking away of the last two furrows, we 

 went within three inches of the turnip-plants. 

 Thus there was a ridge over the original gutter. 

 Then we turned these furrows back again to the 

 turnips. And, having gone, in this manner, 

 over the whole piece, there it was with not a 

 weed alive in it. All killed by the sun, and 

 the field as clean and as fine as any garden that 

 ever was seen. 

 60, Those who know the effect of tillage be- 



