AP. V.] TRANSPLANTING INIHAN CORN. 243 



215. I sowed the seed at about three inches 

 apart, in beds, on the ZOth of May. The plants 

 stood in the beds (about 15 perches of ground) 

 till the first of July. They were now two feet 

 and a half high; and I was ready to begin 

 planting out. The weather had been dry in 

 the extreme. JNot a drop of rain for nearly a 

 month. My land was poor, but clean; and I 

 ought to have proceeded to do the job at once. 

 My principal man had heard sfc much in ridi 

 cule of the project, that lie was constantly 

 begging and praying me not to persevere, 

 " Every body said it was impossible for the 

 * Corn to live /" However, I began. I ploughed 

 a part of the field into four-feet ridges, and, 

 one evening, set on, thus : I put a good quan 

 tity of earth-ashes in the deep furrow between 

 the ridges, then turned back the earth over 

 them, a*id then planted the Corn on the ridge, 

 at a foot apart. We pulled up the plants with 

 out ceremony, cut off their roots to half an 

 inch long, cut off their leaves about eight 

 inches down from their points, and, with a 

 long setting stick, stuck them about seven 

 inches into the ground down amongst the fresh 

 mould and ashes. 



216. This was on the. first of July in ,the 

 evening ; and, not willing to be laughed at too 

 much, I thought I would pause two or threg 



