Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-05
The "Muck DelusiOn."

We cut the following from the Ne~ Eng
land Farmer, being part of an article copied
from DIR. Nichols Boston Journal Of Chem
tstry:
The fallacy Of muck consists in the error OF re-
garding 1t as manure, or substance which turns
spontaneously into manure without cost to the
farmer. The term muck " is usually applied to
the dark, wet, uuctuous product OF low meadows,
and the black mud from the bed OF marshy lakes
and frog ponds. The material varies greatly In
physical character and chemical composition, no
two specimens taken from different localities be-
ing alike. The advocates OF muck, or the writer's
upon the subject, have but little to say in regard
TO these important notifications; with them,
muck is muck, whether It be made up of black
sand or vegetable debris In stage OF partial de-
composition Now muck Is not a manure, whether
1t comes from peat meadow or from the silicious
deposits in the bed Of dricd-up frog pond. 1t Is
not manure, and moreover 1t cannot be made into
plant food by any expense OF time and labor
which the farmer can afford to apply to it.
We see that an intelligent contemporary,
the Rural New Yorker, also copies from the
same article with approval. But there are
chemists and chemists, as there are doctors
and doctors. To the ignorant, all who call
themselves doctors are on much the same
footing; but our friends, Cheever and Car
man, ought to be able to recognize the diff
ference between a manufacturing medical
chemist, like Dr. Nichols, and such an au
thority in agricultural chemistry as Pro
fessor johnson of the Connecticut Expert
ment Station. The latter is of very if
ferent opinion from DR.. Nichols, as can be
seen by reference to his station reports, and
the analyses of muck therein.
DR.. Nichols simply makes himself absurd
when he says that the advocates of muck, or
the writers upon the subject, have but lit
tie to say in regard to the notifications of
muck as found in the various localities, and
he absolutely stultfies himself when he de-
clares that muck is not manure. There is
hardly common farmer in New England
that has not recognized the differences in
the manurial value of different kinds of
muck, and if they are different, then some,
at least, must be good. AS for its being a
manure, any application that makes crop
grow is a manure. Aud the country is full
of men who know by repeated experience
that muck will do that As for the objec
tion made by DR.. Nichols in another part OF
his article, that fresh dry muck is mostly
water, so is fresh dropped dung and urine.
We commend Mr.. Cheever to his recent in.
telligent comments on the complaint OF a
correspondent that ensilage is "mosty
water" Good muck, after it has lain in the
pile where it was thrown out until its sur.
plus water has drained off, is no wettel
than any stable manure where the liquid.
are saved, and becomes quite as valuable
when composed with ashes or lime to Sc,
free its organic nitrogen.
In the last report of the Connecticut Ex
pertinent Station (pages 52-5O Professor
johnson, replying to inquiries in regard u
samples of muck, sent him for analysis
says:
"No. 449 is well worth carting one hundred
rods to use rs an absorbent 1t contains, as an
alyzed, with thirty eight per cent OF water, nearl,
twice az much nitrogen as good stable manure
and OF this there can be no reasonable doubt tina
good portion will become available for crops
No. 465 Is seen from the statement OF its com
position In the waterfree state to contain nearly
ninety per cent OF vegetable matter with two ant
three-tenths per cent OF nitrogen and one and one
half per cent Of lime 1t is accordingly OF ex eel
lent quality"
Nos. 467 A and 467 B are respectively tn
black, upper and brown lower layers Of the sam
deposit. The analysis indicates 1t to be Of tn
best quality. The lower portion is, however
largely mixed with soil. . The best ma
terials next to stable manure to compost with
would be unleached wood ashes or fresh burned
and Stacked lime"
Other similar specimens are reporte'
upon by DR.. johnson, and he refers for full
details as to methods of handling and com
posting to his we'll known work upon Peal
and its uses as a fertilizer and fuel"