CHAP. II.] RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 183 



zel for cabbages ; they will leave potatoes 

 (both being raw) for Mangel Wurzel. A white 

 turnip they will not touch, unless they be on 

 the point of starving. They are the best of 

 triers. Whatever they prefer is sure to be the 

 richest thing within their reach. The parsnip 

 is, by many degrees, the richest root ; but, the 

 seed lies long in the ground ; the sowing and 

 after-culture are works of great niceness. The 

 crop is large with good cultivation ; but, as a 

 main crop, I prefer the Ruta Baga, of which the 

 crop is immense, and the harvesting, and pre 

 serving, and application of which, are so easy. 



153. The farm I suppose to be in fair condi 

 tion to start with : the usual grass-seeds sown, 

 and so forth ; and every farmer will see, that, 

 under my system, it must soon become rich as 

 any garden need to be, without my sending men 

 and horses to the water-side to fetch ashes, 

 which have been brought from Boston or 

 Charleston, an average distance of seven hun 

 dred miles ! In short, my stock would give 

 me, in one shape or another, manure to the 

 amount, in utility, of more than a thousand 

 tons weight a year of common yard manure. 

 This would be ten tons to an acre every year. 

 The farm would, in this way, become more and 

 more productive ; and, as to its being too rich, 

 I see no danger of that ; for a broad-cast crop 



