The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-12-25
q 9gr4tultura
Hauling and Composing Muck.

q The Maine Farmer talks well and sea-
sonably on this subject, and its advice
should be needed in all sections where
muck is easily obtainable. 1t says: "The
present is good time for digging muck
from its bed, and if possible, hauling it to
the barn-yard. The bogs or swamps where
it is deposited, are now dry, and the muck
is in most desirsble state for being
thrown out and carted, providing the team
can be- used. Besides, the work of har-
vesting is generally accomplished, and the
labor of the farm cannot be turned to a
more profitable account. During a ride
through Sidney, last week, we noticed
some farmers thus engaged, and the muck
so hauled was being left in yards to be
used this fall as litter and absorbant of
the liquid voidings of the stock.
To form compost of muck, it needs to
be thoroughly pulverized or reduced to
a fine form by the action of the atmos-
phere. When thrown from its bed it is in
crude state, and should remain in the
heap for year, being forked over twice
during that p riod After this, it can be
carted directly to the field that is to be
manured, or hauled to the stable for use
as an absorbent. If the farmer can obtain
q supply of muck each year, it will be
better to let it remain the above length of
time before using it in compost. I'm
leached wood ashes or quick lime are both
used with muck as compost. We
should, however, use the former, (be ause
they are rich in. potash in connection
with the latter, as they are both powerful
alkalies. Muck varies considerably in its
composition, and also in aeidity, and for
this reason experience must teach the re-
quired amount Of ashes and lime to be
used with it !; sufficient quantity to in
duce fermentation being all that is neces-
sary. Accord of muck contains lob bush
els. To this should be added five bushels
of ashes, one of quick lime and one of
salt. placed alternately in. layers.
and afterwards thoroughly mixed by.
forking or shovelipg over the whole
heap. Muck which was thrown out last
summer, or even this spring, can be com
posted now, forked over this falleand again.
in the spring, and will taen be ready for
use, 1t will be found "a most valuable
manure for corn, potates root crops, or as
atop dressing for grass lands. ii |
81 " Where muck was dug out in the spring
or early part Of summer, but from the cir
eumstauces of its location cannot be carted
unit ilwinter, itwould be a good plan to com
post it now where it is in this manner
above described, hauling it by the first
shedding to the field intended to be ma
nured, and forking it over in the spring,
adding if necessary, a. small portion of
ashes snd salt at the time performing tie
operation. IF this is deemed impractical
Bile, it can be hauled into the barn-yard in
early winter, and by letting the cattle and
sheep run on it during the winter and fol-
lowing summer, it will by fall become
somewhat mixed with the manure of the
stock, and can be carted out to use on pa
tatoes or corn the next season. Or, if the
winter is not severely cold, it can be
thrown into the stalls behind the cattle,
and after remaining one day, deposited in
the shed or cellar, with the other manure.
At any rate, if the muck is in the yard it
can be used as an absorbent in the spring,
and will in this way add value not only to
the muck itself, but actually improve, for
general purposes, the other manure:
-a+s+s-