Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-11-05
Ayrifdttaral.,
Muck

give offence to 'ears polite by calling up
un pleasant associations. Such fastidious
people had better stop right here. and turn
their attention to the advertisements, many
of which, particularly the patent medicines
will afford them, perhaps, amusement if
not benefit
Our County is rich in muck. II is not
evenly diffuscd through the whole soil, as in
the Western States, but found ID reservoirs
by itself, ready for the use of the farmer
as his crops may require. Almost every
farm has a larger or smaller deposit OF
wealth in this shape. 1t has been com
pared to gold mines valueless to those who
are ignorant of their location, or the method
of extracting the metal from its surround
ings impurities. Very many Of our farm
ers, hearing of the efficacy of muck as
applied n growing crops, eagerly repaired
to their bogs-shoveled it out. spread it
upon their land; or put it in the hills OF
their corn and potatoes, and at harvesting
to their chasrin and disappointment, found
it worthless. and their labor lost.
They did not 60 to work understandingly
They did not know that muck in its state
as taken from its bed cannot be eaten by
vegetables. The nutrative portion ls IN
soluble and no better calculated to stiluu
late vegetation than gravel. Yet agricul'
tursl Chemists teach us. that its composition
is almost identical with pure COW durs; and
that any given quantity Of it is equally as
valuable for agricultural purposes.
That portion of the earthly substance,
that becomes food for vegetables is called
by the Chemists ''Geinc." from Greek
word. 1t is mostly composed of vegetable
matter in state of decay. and is found in
abundance in all soils-even in the poorest;
and il absolutely essential to the growth ol
plants; as much so as food is foi animals
So far as nourishment is derived from the
soil, geiue is the food of plants. .3lt exists
in two combinations; ons soluble in water
IN alcohol and by alkaliea. The other, com
psing muck the larger part, !. ir-olab'e'
and cannot bo dissolved by any of these
agents. This property is of vast i'm
portanco. 1t is a provision of far
reaching Providence. that an a'1'rent
of soil. which has BEEN and can be pro
dnced by decay Of organic bolies only
and chiefly by plants on the earth's surface
should not be washed away by the first
falling shower.
This insolublc geine is in truth, uu-
cooked food for plants; as much so as dry
beaus for man. How, and the most ready
way Of preparing it, is the great question
with the farmer. Chemists have discovered
that the atmosphere makes radical change.
in its composition. s!ow but efficient. A
small portion becomes soluble in water Sc
as to be taken up by the plants. A, long a
60 as Farmer Adams brow sweat with the
labor of cul.ivatins his fig trees, it was
known that all crops throve all the better
the more the soil was loosened. To b,
sure, many men have considered this plow
;ug as useful principally by lessening thu
abor Of hoeing; when in fact the grea
benefit derived was the bringing the air i,
contact with the gcine, producing a chemica
change by which plants are enabled to u.s.
it for food. In this way barren lands are
often made fertile by frequentplowing.
Insoluble geinc is made soluble in water
by tn, action of certain soils. 1t is q
familiar illustration, but oil and water will
not mix; but add to them potash an alkalin
salt, and they readily combine. forming
soap. that easily disolves in water. Just s.
with geinc and water. What kind of salt
and the manner Of their application ma!
be stated hereafter.
Pure fresh cow-duug has been adopte'
a. the measure by which to determine tn
value of all other organized substances =
manures.
In its pure state without admi1ture ol
urine it is composed Of
Geins 1855 ,os
Salts .95 100
II Water S3,60\
only one sixth Of value in agriculture!
Pure muck as taken from its bed contain
/ Geine A,O0)
Salts 1905 100
Water 85,00\
This shows that pure cow-dung an
muck are in substance almost identical
The material difference being in the kim
of salts contained in each, and in the yer,
small proportion of one hundredth part
In COW dung this small proportion acts ik'
yeast in fermentlng the whole mass, an(
changing it from insolube to solubl.
geinc and producing ammonia. The kinds
found in muck do not have this effect. Tn,
action Of ammonia on geine is to cook it,
90 to speak, for the digestion of plants
Ammonia is therefore the all important
portion of manure. and without it all labor
OF preparing it is lost.
But what is ammonia may be the qnes-
lion of some one uulearned in chemistry
! D.,lor b,ya van aear kaan within bo If n