Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-03-01
Kernels From a Corn Cob-No. 4.
MUCK sWAMPS,
MUCK SWAMI

Our muck sWamps are basins, which were
placed among our hills and mountains to
catch and retain, in part, their wasting fer.
tility. Our rills brooks and rivers flow down
our mountain sides, and through our wales
and valleys, freighted with fertility which
they gather on their way, and but for these
wamps-eddies, as it we're beside these hur-
rying streams-our numerous and priceless
deposits of muck would long since have been
carried to the ocean, and there ministered to
the growth of marine vegetation.
These deposits Of decayed vegetation are
yet to be regarded as rich placers to the
agricultural interest. Our virgin soils were
literally great deposits of grain-bearing ele-
ments, and as long as these elements remain
ed available, | suppose that we need not
wonder that farmers regarded the swamps as
waste land, fit only as place into which to
fall, and suffer to remain, every tree standing
upon their borders. The accumulated stores
Of fertility, which centuries of repose had
gathered, were prizes that nature offered to
our fathers as an Offset to the trials and hard
ships incident to subduing the wilderness.
But the accumulated stores Of nature are
fast becoming exhausted, and these muck de-
posts are-science asserting-soon to be in
strumental in re-arraying our sun-dried hills,
and sterile fields, in garmens Of green.
Muck taken from its bed, and left exposed
to the action of the air until it has partly
decomposed, and the swamp water drained
out, is an excellent absorbent to take up, and
hold in trust for US, our liquid manures,
which would otherwise be lost; and it is in
this fact that l think lies its greatest value.
Nevertheless, on many farms there are acres
of land of this kind, and on such ones it be-
comes desirable to change the almost aOaste
lands into fruitful fields.
These swamps, if cleared of the trees,
and brush that naturally grow upon them, and
left undrained, will yield medium crop Of
wild grass, which grows upon very wet
land but this kind Of grass makes hay of a
very inferior quality, costing nearly all it is
worth to procure it; and hence the swamps
are of little value, unless tho water with
which they are filled, and partially covered a
large portion of the year, can have free pas
sage away This, from the fact that the val
lie of the lands would not warrant any great
outlay upon them, has been accomplished,
in most cases, by digging an open ditch
around them. The effect Of this has been to
cut off the fountains Of supply of water, and
render the swamp dryer; but at the same
to decrease the burden of hay, leaving moth
ing but light yield of short wild grass.
The reason of this is, that the wild grass
will not grow unless the land is very wet
and common dome'ticated grass will not un-
til the muck or soil has decomposed, settled
down, and formed a finer and more compact
soil. Doubtless by tile draining these lands
to sufficient extent, so that the water with
which the water is filled could have free pas
sage away, in time the muck would decom-
pose, and-without further labor or expense
form soil upon which very large yields of
domesticated grass could be raised; but this
must be the work of time
In order to fit these lands so that common
grasses can be raised upon them, without
waiting for the slow process of decomposi-
ton, there must be some element either mix"
ed with, or spread upon the surface Of the
muck, which is natural to their growth
This, where the muck is shallow, can be ac-
complished by plowinI and maDuring; but
where the muck is deep. | am of tho opinion
that the better way is to spread coating Of
sand or dirt, of an inch or more in thickness,
together with little manure, upon the sur.
face, and then seed down to red-top, or CON-
mon grasses. This coating of sand OR dirt
forms little soil which is natural to the
growth of these grasses, and they will take
root, and soon form strong turf. In this
way large yields of hay can be raised upon
swamp lands, and soon they become the most
valuable lands we have. have seen exper
imcnts of this kind tried, and always attend
ed with good results. Corn Coz.