CHAP. V.} TRANSPLANTING INDIAN CORN. 



hear this question so often repeated, the people 

 in America were like the Rhodian Militia, 

 described in the beautiful poem of Dryden, 

 61 mouths without hands." Far, however, is this 

 from being the case ; or else, where would the 

 hands come from to do the marking; the 

 dropping and covering of the Corn ; the hand- 

 hoing of it, sometimes twice ; the patching 

 after the grubs ; the sucJcering when that work 

 is done, as it always ought to be? Put the 

 plague and expences of all these operations 

 together, and you will, I believe, find them to 

 exceed four or even six, dollars an acre, if they 

 be all well done, and the Corn kept perfectly 

 clean. 



222. The transplanting of ten acres of Corn 

 cannot be done all in one day by two or three 

 men ; nor is it at all necessary that it should. It 

 may be done within the space of twelve or 

 fourteen days. Little boys and girls, very 

 small, will carry the plants, and if the farmer 

 will but try, he will stick in an acre a day him 

 self; for, observe, nothing is so easily done. 

 There is no fear of dearth. The plants, in soft 

 ground, might almost be poked down like jso 

 many sticks. I did not try it ; but, I am pretty 

 sure, that the roots might be cut all off close, 

 so that the stump were left entire. For, mind, 

 a jfibre, of a stout thing, never grows again 



