164 RUTA BAGA CULTURE. [PART I. 



yellow and sickly, and, in four days hence (the 

 weather being dry all the while), looking green 

 and flourishing ; and this wonderful effect pro 

 duced merely by the plough? Why, then, 

 should not the same effect always proceed from 

 the same cause? The deeper you plough, the 

 greater the effect, however; for there is a 

 greater body of earth to exhale from, and to 

 receive back the tribute of the atmosphere. 

 Mr. CUR WEN tells us of a piece of cattle-cab 

 bage. In a very dry time in July, they looked 

 so yellow and blue, that he almost despaired of 

 them. He sent in his ploughs ; and a gentle 

 man, who had seen them when the ploughs 

 went in on the Monday, could scarcely believe 

 his eyes when he saw them on the next Satur 

 day, though it had continued dry all the week. 



124. To perform these summer ploughings, 

 in this Island, is really nothing. The earth is 

 so light and in such fine order, and so easily 

 displaced and replaced. I used one horse for 

 the purpose, last summer, and a very slight 

 horse indeed. An ox is, however, better for 

 this work ; and this may be accomplished by 

 the use of a collar and two traces, or by a 

 single yoke and two traces. TULL recommends 

 the latter; and I shall try it for Indian corn as 

 well as for turnips.* Horses, if they are strong 



* Since the above paragraph was written, I have made * 

 single ox-yoke ; and, I find it answer excellently well. Now, 

 my work is much shortened j for, in forming ridges, two oxen 



