Chap. I. RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 



Quality and Preparation of the Land. 



45. As a fine, rich, loose, garden mould, of 

 great depth, and having a porous stratunm under 

 it, is best for every thing that vegetates, except 

 plants that live best in water, so it is best for Ruta 

 Baga. But I know of no soil in the United States, 

 in which this root ma}' not be cultivated with the 

 greatest facility. A pure sand, or a very stiff^day, 

 would not do well certainly ; but I have never 

 seen any of either in America. The soil that 

 I cultivate is poor almost proverbially ; but, what 

 it really is, is this : it is a light loam, approaching 

 towards the sandy. It is of a brownish colour 

 about eight inches deep, then becomes more of a 

 red for about another eight inches ; and then comes 

 a mixture of a yellowish sand and of pebbles, 

 which continues down to the depth of many feet. 



46. So much for the nature of the land. As to 

 its state, it was that of as complete poverty as can 

 well be imagined. My main crop of Ruta Baga was 

 sown upon two different pieces. One of about 

 three acres, had borne, in 1816, some Indian Corn 

 Stalks together with immense quantities of bram- 

 bles, grass, and weeds, of all descriptions. The 

 other, of about four acres, had, when 1 took to it, 

 Rye growing on it ; but, this Rye was so poor, that 

 my neighbour assured me, that it could produce 

 nothing, and he advised me to let the cattle and sheep 

 take it for their trouble of walking over the ground ; 

 which advice I readily followed ; but, when he 

 heard me say, that I intended to sow Russia Tur- 

 nips on that same ground, he very kindly told me 

 his opinion of the matter, which was, that I should 

 certainly throw my labour wholly away. 



47. With these two pieces of ground I went to 

 work early in June. I ploughed them very shallow, 

 thinking to drag the grassy clods up with, the 



