RUTA BAGA CULTURE. [PART I. 



know this to be correct. Who would have 

 thought to see these plants thrive? who would 

 have thought to see them live? The next day after 

 being planted, their leaves crumbled between 

 our fingers like the old leaves of trees. In two 

 days there was no more appearance of a crop 

 upon the ground than there was of a crop on 

 the Turnpike-road. But, on the 2nd of Sep 

 tember, as J have it in my memorandum book, 

 the plants began to show life ; and, before the 

 rain came, on the 12th, the piece began to have 

 an air of verdure, and, indeed, to grow and to 

 promise a good crop. 



75. I will speak of the bulk of this crop by 

 and by ; but, I must here mention another 

 transplantation that I made in the latter end of 

 July. A plot of ground, occupied by one of 

 my earliest sowings, had the turnips standing 

 in it in rows at eighteen inches asunder, and at 

 a foot asunder in the rows. Towards the middle 

 of July I found, that one half of the rows must 

 be taken away, or that the whole would be of 

 little value. Having pulled up the plants, I 

 intended to translate them (as 'they say of 

 Bishops) from the garden to the field ; but, I 

 had no ground ready. However, I did not like 

 to throw away these plants, which had already 

 bulbs as large as hens' eggs. They were carried 

 into the cellar, where they lay in a heap, till 

 (which would soon happen in such hot weather) 



