-29 



anterior crops. The more numerous these leavings 

 and the more they bring organic matter in decompo- 

 sition to the earth, that is to say the more manure, 

 the more do they assist in mellowing the soil and 

 giving to it a greater adaptability to be influenced 

 by atmospheric changes. But although important, 

 the advantages of a good system of rotation in 

 producing sugar do not end here. Preceding vege- 

 tation also serves to extend and dilute the nutritive 

 elements of the soil and thus improve the beet. 



> MANURE. 



It would be superfluous in the presont state of 

 agriculture in Canada, and within the confined 

 limits of such a treatise as the present, to speak of 

 the infinite number of manures both natural and 

 artificial that are in use in the old countries of 

 Europe. In these countries, where for a long time 

 agriculture has been forced, very many substances 

 have of necessity been used to return to the earth, 

 those principles which are annually taken from it 

 by the crops to prevent its being exhausted. Canada 

 has not yet arrived at this state ; its soil is naturally 

 rich and abundant, and it will be sufficient for the 

 farmer, at least at present, to plough his land careful- 

 ly and collect such manure as he can. It would be 

 only advantageous to him to increase the number 

 of his cattle, to produce a larger quantity of manure. 

 It it not many years since, in the countries in which 

 I for a long time lived, agriculture was not obliged 

 to mike u : e of all those manures more or less 



