New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-04-18
WHAT | KNOW OF FARMING.
by PROF } J MAPS

sidered rs organic matter not IN stare o. dec"y
and If placed in soil without first inducing chem
ical change, it will not act rs ierthzer' AS
compared with well decompOsed stable manure, II
bears the same analogy that sour-krout does 10
cabbage. IF sour krout be buried under the sur
face NJ the earth. it will remain for many years
nnslterea. while cabbage under similar treatment
would be readily decomposed. If the excess OF
acid be first removed from krout, 1t will then de-
compose as readily as cabbage, and from the same
causes The muck, as stated in my last is COM
posed Of the lighter particles Of surace-soiIs car
ried to its present locality by the rains after be-
ing saturated frequently with salt water, its de-
composition is arrested, and under this new or
ganism a style Of grasses peculiar to marshes
takes possession Of its surface. These grasses are
continu ally adding the carbon which they receive
from the atmosphere in the form of carbonic acid
gas 10 the muck the principal result OF their
decay and thus the muck is found TO contain large
amounts Of carbonaceous matters. When muck
IS exposed TO Winter frosts, the ultimate hbres OF
the deoomposed roots it contains arc torn asunder
and the mass is thus rendered pulverulent. In
this state it is fl. for easy decomposition. The
quality Of the grasses is much better on meadows
which have been ditched for the purpose Of sup
plying muck, and thus part Of the cost OF procure
ment is paid by the improved mowings
Muck may be dccomposed in various ways
and will always produce beneficial results when
used after decomposition as manure. When
mixed intimately with wood-ashes, either leached
or eached, it forms one Of the best nanures for
frnit-trees and while the quantity Of common
salt it contains is insufficient 10 injure the peach
it is sufficient to prove highly serviceable to the
plum; while its large proportion OF carbonaceous
matter renders it capable of receiving and retain
ing the ammonia of the atmosphere until required
Tor the use OF the roots. Muck is not protection
against the peach-worm, but trees the trunks OF
which are surrounded by it, are less liable to their
attacks Muck, when mixed with ashes, readily
receives moisture, and if water be In great ex'
cess, the muck will for long time prevent the
land from souring or the water from becoming
fetid
When urine Of animals is mixed with swamp
muck, it readily undergoes decomposition, and the
resulting gases are retained. One-tenth part OF
stable manure well mixed with muck, VIII be
found sufficient TO cause tine mass TO heat readily
and become as clear manure for farm use. ii
muck be placed under oxen, cows horses
SC, and covered by the bedding, so that their
urine will pass through the bedding and combine
with the muck while it contains the animal
warmth, then the muck will be decomposed' and
the warmth of the body of the animal WINE
sleeping will materially assist the decomposition
The solid manures remaining atop OF the bedding
should be removed each morning and mixed with
new portions of muck IN the preparation before
stated for mutual decomposition. If the hquld
manures from stables be led by cutters TO cisterns,
| and, when cold, pumped upon muck, 1t will not de-
compose one.half the quantity as when applied
| While containing the animal warmth Each OK,
horse or cow W i'll supply the means OF converting
one cord of muck per week into manure equal to
ordinary barn yard manure while the readily
pulverulent character OF the mass renders such
compost much more easily Invisible during til
lage Large quantities OF muck may be thrown
with advantage into the hog-pen, aud new guam
titles should be added as often as any odor can be
perceived arising from the surface OF the pen. !
have used large quantities OF muck IN these ma
nures, and have found it advantageous to remove
aud renew the muck of the stables and hog pen
every ten days, always placing 1t under manure
sheds to prevent its exposure TO useless currents
of air, for evaporation, and to assist the mass IN
maintaining an equablc temperature, TO assist its
decomposition When larger quantities OF manures
are required than can be formed from these means,
then new quantities of muck may be dsoomposed
by the process given in The Working Farmer,
page 4, under the head of Lime as a Manure
BY the use of the lime and salt mixture as there
described, any amount of manure may readily be
formed from muck.
Either fresh or salt muck makes good divisor
for night soil, absorbing all the more fluid parts
aud at the same time rendering the mass win
the slight addition of two bushels of plaster Ol
Paris to the cord, entirely inodorous.
Dead animals, il cut up into small pieces SAY
from to 10 lbs. each coating slightly with ashes
and then burying them in muck, will convert the
muck into a most powerful manure. The wastes
of glue factories slaughter houses &c. may be so
treated, and every hundred pounds OF animal mat
ter will convert one cord of muck into good ma
nsre. The spent I've OF the soap-boilers, IL thrown
upon muck, soon converts it into available ma
nure and every ten gallons OF this spent or salt
ye as it is called, is fully equal in its beneficial
cHtNte upon SUI dibot pipPSi Ni''SN''
to one barrel OF ashes.
Guano, hon and pigeon dnng bones after hav
ing been treated with sulphuric acid, and indeed
all the more powerful classes OF manure should
be divided by sdmxtures with muck before be-
inc used upon land
When muck cannot readily be procured, then
surface earth from old woods. pure mud, head
lands, &c. may be similarly used. and II OF char
acter not containing sufficient csrbonaceous mat
ter, add charcoal dust Some have objected u
taking the surface arth from woe ds under the I'm
preston that they should impove-ish the soil; but
if they will replace half the value In lime and SAT-
mixture in place of the surface taken, the woods
will generally gain by the exchange
When muck composts are used on sandy soiis
they are rendered more tenacious, and when
mixed with clay soils, by overcoming the tena-
cious properties Of the clay, this soil is also REL
dered more valuable In my next communication
will treat of my experience In the effects pro-
duced by deep and subsoil blowing. Inc iAc1s
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