Chap. II. RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 113 



of grain begins ; and then again, in the fall, the 

 taking up of the roots conies after the grain and 

 corn and buckwheat harvests, and even after the 

 sowing of the winter grain. In short, it seems 

 to me, that the cultivation of this crop, in this 

 country, comes, as it were expressly, to till up the 

 unemployed spaces of the farmer's time ; but, if 

 he prefer standing with his arms folded, during 

 these spaces of time, and hearing his flock bleat 

 themselves half to death in March and April, or 

 have no flock, and scarcely any cattle or hogs, 

 raise a few loads of yard-dung, and travel five 

 miles for ashes and bu}'^ them dear at the end of 

 the live miles ; if he prefer these, then, certainly, 

 I shall have written on this subject in vain. 



Quantity of the Crop. 



115. It is impossible for me to say, at present, 

 what quantity of Ruta Baga may be grown on an 

 acre of land in this island. My three acres of 

 ridged Turnips, sown on the 2Gth of June were 

 very unequal ; but, upon one of the acres, there 

 were six himdred and forty bushels; I mean heaped 

 bushels ; that is to say, an English statute Bushel 

 heaped as long as the commodity will lie on. 

 The transplanted Turnips yielded about four hun- 

 dred bushels to the acre : but, then, observe, they 

 were put in a full month too late. This year, I 

 shall make a fair trial. 



116. I have given an account of my raising, 

 upon five acres in one field, and twelve acres in 

 another field, one thousand three hundred and 

 twenty bushels to an acre, throughout the seven- 

 teen acres. I have no doubt of equaUing that 

 quantity on this Island, and that, too, upon some 

 of its poorest and most exhausted land. They tell 



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