Chap. II. RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 95 



it by the next night, that, when I repeated my 

 watering of the rest, I left it, as being unworthy of 

 my care, intending to plant some other thing in the 

 ground occupied by this dead row. But, in a ievi 

 days, I saw, that it was not dead. It grew soon 

 afterwards ; and, in the end, the cabbages of my 

 dead row were not ou\y larger, but earlier in loav- 

 ing, than any of the rest of the plot. 



80. The reason is this : if plants are put into ti^et 

 earth, the setting-stick squeezes the earth up 

 against the tender tibres in a mortar-like state. The 

 sun comes and bakes this mortar into a sort of glazed 

 clod. The hole made by the stick is also a smooth 

 sided hole, which retains its form, and presents, on 

 every side, an impenetrable substance to the fibres. 

 In short, such as the hole is made, such it, in a 

 great measure remains, and the roots are cooped 

 up in this sort of tivell, instead of having a free 

 course left them to seek their food on every side. 

 Besides this, the fibres get, from being wet when 

 planted, into a small compass. They all cling 

 about the tap root, and are stuck on to it by the 

 wet dirt, in which state, if a hot sun follow, they 

 are all baked together in a lump, and cannot stir. 

 On the contrary, when put into ground wi'wet, 

 the reverse of all this takes place ; and, the fresh 

 earth will, under a???/ sun, supply moisture in quan- 

 tity sufficient. 



8 1 . Yet, in July and August, both in England and 

 America, how many thousands and thousands are 

 ivaiting for a shower to put out their plants I And, 

 then, when the long-wished-for shower comes, they 

 must plant upon stale ground, for they have it dug 

 ready, as it were for the purpose of keeping them 

 company in waiting for the shower. Thus all the 

 fermentation, which took place upon the digging, 

 is gone ; and, when the planting has once taken 

 place, farewell to the spade ! For, it appears to be 

 ^privilege of the Indian Corn to receive soijiething 



