ai8 MANAGEMENT OF LAND 



ground, the latter, which knots on the furface, and is, if 

 poflible, more mifchievous than the former. Children, with 

 bafkets, (bould follow the plough in every furrow to pick it 

 all up and burn it, and as faft as it is done fow and harrow 

 in the turnep feed. The bed way of fowing is to provide a 

 trough, from twelve to fixteen feet long, three inches wide 

 and four deep, made of flit deal half an inch thick, let it have 

 partitions twelve inches afunder, and a bottom of pierced 

 fin to every other divifion, the holes in the tin Ihould be jui't 

 large enough for a feed to fait through with cafe* three of 

 them to each tin ; in the middle of the trough two circular 

 handles of iron ; 'the feed is to be put, a fmall quantity at a 

 time, into the bottomed divifions, and a man taking the trough 

 in his hands walks with a-fteady pace over the land, fhaking it 

 tideways as he goes: if he guides himfelf by the centers and 

 furrows of the beds, he will be fure not to mils any land ; 

 cover the feed with a light pair of'harrows. A pint and half 

 of feed the proper quantity for a plantation acre : the large 

 globular white Norfolk fort, which grows above ground, 

 yields the greateft produce. 



As foon as the crop comes up, watch them well to fee if at- 

 tacked by the fly, and if very large fpaces are quite eaten up, 

 inftantly plough again, and low and harrow as before. When 

 the plant gets the third or rough leaf, they are fafe from the 

 fiy, and as focn as they fpread a diameter of three or four 

 inches is the time to begin to hand hoe them, an operation fo 

 indifpenfibly neceffary, that to cultivate- turneps without it, is 

 much worfe management than not to cultivate them at all. 

 Procure hand hoes from England eleven inches wide, and 

 taking them into the field, make the men fet out the turneps 

 to the diftance of from twelve to eighteen inches afunder, ac- 

 cording to the richnefs of the foil ; the richer the greater the 

 diftance, cutting up all weeds and turneps which grow withiu 

 thofe fpaces, and not leaving two or three plaats together in 

 knots. Make them do a piece of land perfedly well while you 

 are with them, and leave it as a fample. They will be flow 

 and aukward at firft, but will improve quickly. Do not 

 apprehend the expence, that will leflen as the men become 

 handy. On no account permit them to do the work with 

 their fingers, unlefs to leparate two turneps dole together, 

 for they will never then underftand the work, and the expence 

 will always be great. Employ hands enough to finifh the field 

 in three weeks. As foon as they have done it, they are to 

 begin again, and hoe a fecond time to correct the deficiencies 

 of the firft ; and for a few years, until the men become fkilful 

 in the bufinefs, attend in the fame manner to remedy the 

 "Qiniflions of the fecond. And if afterwards, when the turneps 

 are clofed, and excluded all hoeing, any weeds fhould rife and 

 ihew themfelves above the crop, children and women fhould 

 be font in to pull them by hand. 

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