THE CEREAL1A. 17 



of labour. Buck-wheat is very commonly cultivated 

 in this district ; and it is found that one sowing of 

 the seed will produce five or six crops in as many 

 successive years, each harvest yielding from twelve 

 to fifteen times the quantity first sown. The seed 

 which is shed during the reaping is sufficient to 

 insure the growth of plants for the following year, 

 without any manuring, and with no more labour on 

 the part of the farmer than that of harrowing the 

 land in the spring. This system is continued with- 

 out intermission until the diminished fertility of the 

 soil compels its abandonment ; but, as already men- 

 tioned, this state of things rarely occurs until six years 

 have been thus occupied. 



It might be thought that in a country thus fertile, 

 the proprietors or cultivators of the soil would 

 speedily become enriched ; this, however, is by no 

 means the case. Facilities for transporting their 

 surplus produce are wretchedly deficient, so that the 

 market is extremely circumscribed ; and the inhabi- 

 tants of the country being generally so poor as to be 

 unable to purchase food produced from grain, the 

 farmers limit {heir cultivation in a great degree to 

 the quantity needed for the supply of their own 

 families. TJie small amount of labour called for by 

 this cultivation js usually performed by the farmer 

 himself, assisted by the members of his own family ; 

 the employment of any other farm-labourers is con- 

 sequently rare. 



All temptation to extend the breadth of culture 

 must be wanting, in a situation, where the surplus 

 produce cannot be exchanged, and its value invested 

 in some permanent mode, whereby a larger quantum 

 of human labour may be commanded at any future 

 period. 



Europe is indebted to Siberia for a particular de- 

 scription of oats, which are considered excellent ; 



VOL. xv. 2* 



