CHAP. II.] RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 135 



mine had far surpassed the prime plants of my 

 neighbour. And, in the end I believe, that ten 

 of my cabbages would have weighed a hundred 

 of his, leaving out the stems in both cases. But, 

 his had remained uncultivated after planting. 

 The ground, battered down by successive rains, 

 had become hard as a brick. All the stores 

 of food had been locked up, and lay in a dor 

 mant state. There had been no renewed fermen 

 tations, and no exhalations. 



82. Having now said what, I would fain 

 hope, will convince every reader of the folly of 

 waiting for a shower in order to transplant plants 

 of any sort, I will now speak of the mere act of 

 planting, more particularly than I have hitherto 

 spoken. 



83. The hole is made sufficiently deep ; 

 deeper than the length of the root does really 

 require; but, the root should not be bent at 

 the point, if it can be avoided. Then, while 

 one hand holds the plant, with its root in the 

 hole, the other hand applies the setting-stick to 

 the earth on one side of the hole, the stick being 

 held in such a way as to form a sharp triangle 

 with the plant. Then pushing the stick down, 

 so that its point goes a little deeper than the 

 point of the root, and giving it a little twist, it 

 presses the earth against the point, or bottom, 

 of the root. And thus all is safe, and the plant 

 is sure to grow. 



