154 RUTA BAGA CULTURE. [PART I. 



others ; but this hard frost had pierced them 

 too deeply, especially as they were in so tender 

 and luxuriant a state. Many of these we find 

 rotted near the neck ; and, upon the whole, 

 they have suffered a loss of about one half. An 

 acre, left to take their chance in the field, turned 

 out, like most of the games of hazard, a total 

 loss. They were all rotted. 



111. This loss arose wholly from my want 

 of sufficient experience. I was anxious to ne 

 glect no necessary precaution ; and I w r as fully 

 impressed, as I always am, with the advantages 

 of being early. But, early in December, I lost 

 a week at New York ; and, though I worried 

 my neighbours half to death to get at a know 

 ledge of the time of the hard weather setting 

 in, I could obtain no knowledge, on which 1 

 could rely, the several accounts being so diffe 

 rent from each other. The general account 

 was, that there would be no very hard weather 

 till after Christmas. I shall know better an 

 other time ! MAJOR CARTWRIGHT says, in 

 speaking of the tricks of English Borough- 

 mongers, at the " Glorious Revolution," that 

 they will never be able to play the same tricks 

 again ; for that nations, like rational individuals, 

 are not deceived twice in the same way. 



1 12. Thus have 1 spoken of the time and man- 

 ner of harvesting, as they took place with me. 

 And, surely, the expense is a mere trifle. Two 



