

CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 



the dirt up first on one side and then on the other, to about the height potato 

 hills are usually made. Open a trench on the top of the ridge and drop the 

 slips five or six inches apart, cover with the hand about two inches deep. 



This mode is attended with several advantages requiring less ground, less 

 labour in preparing the ground, less in cutting the seed roots, less in bending 

 lidges than hills, and greatly less than digging. The last operation is done 

 mostly with the plough. After clearing off the vines run a furrow along the 

 ridge, taking down about two-fifths on one side, return and throw off as much 

 on the other side, leaving about one-fifth in the middle, nearly full of potatoes, 

 which can be easily torn to pieces with the hand. A hoe will be necessary to 

 move the dirt thrown out by the plough, so as to facilitate the picking out of 

 the potatoes. 



This mode of cultivating and taking up the crop, reduces the labour in my 

 estimation nearly one-half. 



To obviate the difficulty as to keeping, I put my potatoes in a garner in the 

 cellar, putting chaff or dry dirt around and on them put them up the same 

 day they are dug. When freezing weather comes on, close the cellar win- 

 dows. In this way I had sweet potatoes for the table throughout the last cold 

 winter. 



Plant about the first of April, and be sure to dig after the first frost hard 

 enough to bite the leaves. 



III. THE TURM1'. 



English Turnip and Ruta-Huga. 



"!T would have been perhaps more consistent with due 

 order in the arrangement of a work on husbandry, to have 

 commenced with the cultivation of turnips as the foundation 

 of an alternate system of tillage rather than with the growth 

 of grain; and had we undertaken to direct the practical manage- 

 ment of any one farm, we should have adopted that plan."* 



It should, however, be borne in mind, that, although we 

 furnish the best details with which we are acquainted, regard- 

 ing the culture of crops, yet we only profess to treat of them 

 sc/Htrutrly; leaving the reader to judge for himself of the best 

 course of cropping, according to the peculiar nature of his 

 land. 



The turnip is said to be a native of the sea-coast of the north 

 of Europe, where they are found growing spontaneously. 

 There are several species, and numerous varieties of the tur- 

 nip; but those which specially require our attention, are 1. 

 The common turnip. 2. The Swedish turnip, or RUTA-BAGA. 

 The turnip culture was introduced into England about two 

 centuries since, by Secretary TOWNSEND. It was bitterly op- 

 posed by the British farmers; but he faultered not in the good 

 work, but persevered and lived to witness a complete revolu- 

 tion, and the almost universal culture of the despised turnip, 



* Farmers' Series, Library of Useful Knowledge, p. 231. 



