CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 135 



theory, that the fertility of their land is inexhaustible, 

 cultivating the same crop year after year upon the 

 same soil, and in too many instances without manure 

 I have seen fields upon which corn had been raiseJ. 

 for twenty-two successive years without manure 

 a folly even greater than Crespel records, when he 

 states that he cultivated sugar beets for fifteen succes- 

 sive years on the same land. This method of farming 

 if it can be called farming is pernicious and sui- 

 cidal, and should never be copied. In many parts of 

 Europe the system of rotation is biennial, namely, 

 wheat and beets ; but it is never adopted by the best 

 cultivators, and is rapidly falling into disfavor. In 

 some countries beets are raised on the same land 

 twice, and in others three times, in five years. The 

 triennial system is the one generally in use ; but among 

 the very best cultivators, beet is raised on the same 

 soil only once in four, or even five, years. 



I shall give the crops often employed in Europe in 

 the triennial and quadrennial systems of rotation : 



Triennial System. 



ist year, oats manured, Or oats, 



2d " beets, beets manured, 



3d " wheat. wheat. 



Quadrennial System. 

 ist year, wheat, Or clover, 



2d " beets manured, rye or oats, 



3d " barley or oats, beets manured, 



4th " clover. wheat. 



Where wheat is not much cultivated, rye may take 



