St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-07-17
VOLUME 81 NUMBER 1916.
farm, Garden aud 4sitfl1en.
MuhlireS-- Muck.

port of the Mass State Board of Agri-
culture, from the pen Of Alexander Hyde
OF Lee.
Manure lies ut the foundation of agri-
culture. 1t is the raw material from
which the farmer manufactures his pro-
duets. SO highly is it priced by the
Belgians, that they call it ''the god of
agriculture" The increasing estimation
in which it is held in our own country is
manifest from the increased price we
have to pay for it In New ENGLAND
the price has doubled within the last ten
years. We are not sorry to notice the
enhanced market value of manure. for
the tendency will he TO induce every one
to husband his resources in this respect
more carefully, and the agricultural pro-
duct> OF the country will be increased
pruportionally. Much a. we have I'M
proved in New England in the increase
4
wide margin for further Improvement
and on the virgin prairi2> OF the west we
have seen the torch applied to the stacks
of straw i'll order TO get il out OF the
way; and in many places the piles of
manure around the barns are considered
Il nuisance, and if Hercules mode OF
cleaning the Augean stables were posi-
bic. it would doubtless be resorted TO-
We have seen, during the past summer.
a sewer constructed in one of our large
villages with its mouth terminating in
brook, 50 that the refuse which should
20 TO tertilizing the surrounding country
is now carried to that great reservoir of
fertility, the ocean. The inevitable alb
>orption 10y the sea OF the fertilizing ma
tcrial OF the land would seem to be suf-
ficient, without our adding to the loss by
turning our sewer, in that direction.
Possibly the upheayngs Of nature, in
course ot time, may bring TO the sur
tacc the vast deposits now being made in
the ocean: but it l. not worth while to
make to- larIc investments where the re-
turn, are IN such an uncertain future.
We think We are speaking within bounds
when We say that not half the resources
OF manure, even in our favored New
England. are is yet developed. The OBJ
iect OF the present paper Is briefly to al
iudc 10 some of these uudeveloped or
partially developed resources, and. il
possible. to stimulate 10 more careful
hushaming Of the lite-b,ood OF the farm:
and ii illusion Is made to the writer
own experience, ii is hoped the reference
Will not hr attributed to -gloriicalion.
but to Il desire to make that experience
available for the benefit ol others.
The first resource We will mention ! :
the muck->wamp. This i reservoir OF
Vegetable matter. the slow deposit tor
centuries OF wood leaves. moss and herb
age, tor the mos; part submerged 50 IL
To- prevent rapid decay. Possibly these
i.uch ~wamp~ are the iucIpirn; states OF
future fields Of coal, and may hy pressure
and heat h2 converted into that conccm-
tratcd form OF carbon. Bc tins IS il
may. they seem TO lave been reserved by
a kind Providence to supply the rapid
w:t~;e OF vegetable matter which always
occurs in dry, cultivated lands. As the
coal fields are the great wood houses OF
nature. 80 the MUGS -wamp~ are her
great manure bed : and as the develop
mcnt OF the one has vastly increased the
manufactures OF the world. 20 the use Oi
the other tends TO supply the demand tor
the products OF the soil which manutac-
lures create These swamps were form
erly looked upon rs 50 much waste, and
dreaded a> the hot beds of masma but
by draining they have not only been
clothed with sweet herbagc themselves.
but have been made to contribute to the
beauty and fertility of uplands. As a
basis for the compost heap we have new
cr found anything equal to muck. In a
dry state it is exceedingly porus, and con-
Scqucntly great absorbent of gasSes. A
dead horse buried in it gives forth no
etfluvia, and sheveled over ut the expira-
lion of year will give half dozen
loads of fertilizing material, rich in am
monia and all the elements of vegetable
life. ''We speak of what we know, and
testify to what we have seen For a
quarter of u century we have used more
or less muck every year; AMI although
keeping little stock, the farm has steadily
increased in fertility. We would not
recommend applying it directly to the
soil, unless Of Il sandy OF gravelly nature.
Muck is a great absorbent of moisture,
and is therefore naturally cold, and
should not be applied to moist clay or
loan lands till it has been chemically
changed by coming in contact with ashes
or termcnting manure. If raised from
its wet bed in the swamp and exposed
to the air, it gradually loses its cold,
sour nature, and may be applied without
composing, and with benefit to almost
any soil not already abounding in veget-
nhIn nnnttnr In this sfatr IL IS very SIM