Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-05-24
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Muck az Manure.

Muck as Manure. u
z, Il. Jameson, of Irasburg
writes as follows to the New Eng'
land Honest cad.
The value Of the natural deposits
Of organic or vegetable matter call
ell "muck," as an absorbent ofliquif
manures about the stables, as al
absorbent of gases In the decompo
sition of animal or manurial sub
stances, and as q divisor of concen
trated fertilizers such as guano
hen manure, superphosphate, etc..
has often been set forth by writers
and proved in practice. Muck in
these cases plays the secondary
part, and is estimated of little val
nc by itself. The case pre-supposes
that tho farmer has large stock OF
cattle, So stabbed that the urine with
its valuable nitrogen and phospho.
ric acid has hitherto been wasted,
or he has hogs that are spelling for
q chance to root and burrow in q
muck pit, or he has money and has
bought guano, phosphate, pogy
chum or fish.scrap, and uses muck
as an adulteration or extension SO
that it may be SO reduced that the
roots Of the tender plants can lay
up lovingly alongside this prepared
food. and fill their tender stomachs
with no danger Of collie or dyspep-
Muck has also a use in improving
a sandy, porous soil, by chan ging
its texture and color, SO that it will
not part with moisture SO readily,
and the darker color will perhaps
increase it's heat and producing pow
er. 3ia-
These uses do not commend muck
to the farmer who rents farm for
year, or buys worn out land to till
and has no stock of cattle or con-
centrated fertilizers to give muck
its value, and does not care to i'm
prove the color or texture of the
soil, yet very much desires plant
food to feed the crops he is about
to raise. Muck is abundant in
nearly all parts Of our land. Can
muck be quickly changed from its
inactive state, as it lies preserved
in water, so as to furnish plant-foOd
within month after digging, and
in time for spring crops If so. it
will be used by many who are com
mencing farming, and seek to fer
tilize their lands with small ex-
penditure.
We believe it can be SO changed.
The agents in the decomposition
will be an alkali and the heat of
fermentation. stone-lime freshly
burned is put in pile Of muck and
slakes with the moisture of the pile,
it creates great heaC ind changes
very rapidly the character of the
muck, making it valuable for ma
nure. If boiling water with as many
quarts of good wood ashes as gal
Ions of water is poured into holes
in different parts of the pile of
muck, the heat and alkali will
make very favorable change in
it's value. Iflime is Stacked with
salt water, and in it's cold, dry state
is mixed with pile ofmuck, it acts
upon it very beneficialy. I intend
to test this matter this spring more
thoroughly than 1 have ever yet
done, and hope my experiments
will result very favorably.
Farmers, know that there is "a
difference in muck. That from the
lecayed leaves of cedar, fir, spruce
md hemlock is very barren in it's
natural state. That near cold
springs, and which is constantly
washed by cold water, is little bet.
.er than charcoal or carbon. That
n depressiOns in the forests of hard s
wood or deciduous growth, which {
s just moist enough to preserve it, G
s highly esteemed, and is often a {
,ood fertilizer alone. That in low {
and, where the musical frog and S
he merry mosquito breeds, and n
where many varieties of insect fife
flourish i'll spring and die when the 6
lrouth of summer comes, is made
icher by this deposit of animal s
natter, and will with proper treat. b
nent be very valuable. Q