The Portland daily press., 1876-02-28
How to Use Muck.

A correspondent informs us that he has a
large muck-bed on his place, firm which ne Is
now drawing out to dry ground, and he
wishes to know the best way to use and APP
ply and use it. In answer, we may state that
there are three distinct ways, namely, l.,
drawing it out and spreading it at once on
the land; 2, using it in forming compost
heaps: and 8, applying it as bedding for
animals in stables, or for spreading in cattle
yards.
l. Swamp muck, as commonly seen in
moist state, is about seven-eights water. In
this condition it is of little value. unless ap-
piled directly to land, thoroughly narrowed
into the soil to intermx the two completely,
and then plough in. But there are very few
cases where this will be of use. The muck
must be black and the vegetable matter well
decomposed; If blown and fbrous it will not
answer; the more it resembles the leaf mould
of upland woods, the better it is for the pur-
pose. The vegetable matter which consti-
tutes swamp muck is more imperfectly de-
composed and disintegated under water than
the leaf mould of upland woods, and at the
same time it contains usually more or less of
several vegetable acids, all of which Temporal
rily diminish its value. In addition to these
drawbacks, muck alone will be of little use if
applied to soil already supplied with enough
vegetable matter; it will only be carving
SO little beneficial effect is commonly pro-
duced when fresh muck is applied at once as
manure. In other instances, however, the
fertility has been increased when it has been
taken from swamps that have no outlet, into
which fertilizing elements have been washed
from soils, or when various animal matters
have accumulated. If running stream
passes through the swamp, much of these
valuable matters will have been carried off.
1t will therefore be seen that the varying
conditions, bothsof the soils and the muck,
may produce greatly varying results; and the
only satisfactory means to determine whether
applying muck directly to land will be useful,
is to try the experiment, at first on moder-
ate scale.
2. Muck, in its common wet state, being
about seven-eights water, it is important to
dry it, if for use as an absorbant of LIQUID
manure. When already saturated it can
take in no more; if thoroughly dry it will alb
sorb and hold several times its weight in
liquid manure, and here lies one of its valu-
able qualities. A very common reason of the
partial failure or the little value found in
muck, when used as an absorbent, or in COM
post heaps, is from this very reason-the abb
sorbent has already taken up all the liquid in
the form of water that it can hold.
1t must therefore be thoroughly dried, if
practicable; and at least partially dried in
any case. 1t is therefore important, both as
assisting in the removal of water, as well as
facilitating the work of drawing out, to drain
the swamp beforehand, when an outlet can
be had. But whether drained or not,> the
muck must be placed on as dry a spot of up
land as can be had. The draining of surplus
water from the heap, and the exclusion of
moisture otherwise absorbed from the earth
below, would be facilitated by placing the
muck-heap on bed of rails, poles, coarse
brush, or loose planks or slabs. When the
heap is finished, cover it with thatch, to
throw off rains, and admit evaporation
through the thatch; or shed placed over it,
far enough above to allow the winds to blow
freely between the two, would answer we'll
In the course of a few months, the heap may
be dry enough to use. A small heap will of
course dry sooner than large one; and a
long one sooner than the same amount in a
compacked heap.
This dried muck may then be used to great
advantage in forming compost heaps. The
manure and the muck should be placed in
thin alternating layers-the timer, the more
perfect and easy the final intermixture in
stirring over. Usually, about twice as
much muck may be employed as manure, but
the exact proportions are not essential.
There should be enough muck to absorb the
liquid and volatile parts, and this will depend
partly on the character of each. If the ma
nure is fibrous or with much straw, a less
proportion of muck will do than when the
manure is rich and solid; and where the
muck has had clay washed into it while form
ing, less will be required than when it is ex-
clusvely vegetable.
To save labor in mixing over the compost
heaps, they should be made long and rather
fiat, and then the working over may be done
with plows and harrows, drawn by oxen or
horses, by throwing the materials alternately
out and in.
8. In using muck for littering stables, it is
especially important to have it dry. Wet
muck is bad for the animals to stand or lie
on, freezes easily, and absorbs little or moth
ing, after being previously filled with water.
Here is the secret of so many partial or total
failures in littering. Any one can easily i'm
agine the great difference IN value between q
repletion, and another mass where all this
water is replaced with an equal amount of
liquid manure. The difference is so great as
hardly to admit of comparison.
1t is of less value for cattle-yards, because
even if dry it soon becomes wet through by
rains from above and absorption from be-
meath. 1t is better therefore to col.fiine its
use to covered sheds, unless easily had in
great abundance for covering the barnyard.
A small portion of lime in powder, or of
wood ashes, may be advantageously used in
forming the compost heap already mentioned;
and these may sometimes be employed with
Advantage to neutralize the acids existing in
fresh muck, and fitting it better for spread
ing on land, when not mixed with yard or
stable manure. The value of this mixture
will depend greatly on the condition of the
soil as to vegetable matter.-Country Gentle
man.
.- Detective Wool.