The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-05
Muck.-WhatI Is MucltS

In England muck means manure.
In "Pilgrim's Progress" "the man
with the muck-rake" was searching
for good in the cutters filth; but not
tiuding that Tor which he searched.
"Muck is money" is an English farm
er's prOverb, the meaning of which
is clear enough. When agricultural
writers in America talk about muck
they mean swamp muck, and by this Il
substance of a peaty character, rich in
humus, of dark brown or nearly black
color, consisting of the remains of
plants which have undergone partial
decomposition under the constant in
iluence of water. This has no con-
slant composition or appearance other
than indicated. In peat-beds the true
peat is often several feet deep, and
there may be good deal of similar
material which is crumbly, more or
less mixed with earth or sand,
and unfit for fuel Other deposits
abound in which there isno peat fit to use
asfuel, but with an abundance of other
material useful to farmers and properly
enough called muck. This is black
away when dry. 1t often dries hard,
like clay or bricks. 1t crumbles under
the influence of frost and air and often
simply by drying. This substance, in
Guiding all varieties of peat, is or may
be made useful in every soil not of Il
peaty nature to begin with. 1t is often
rich in nitrogen, the most costly ingre-
dent of fertilizers, often contains phos-
phate of lime and other valuable ash
ingredients. BY its decomposition in
the sol, Its absorbent action, its promo
tion of other decOmpOsitions and
changes in the soil, its presence is al
ways beneficial. Under some peculiar
circumstances these effects are him
dered, probably by the presence of or
ganic acids in the peat. TO such peats
and mucks the term "sour" is fitly ap-
piled by farmers. They may, however,
be neutraliZed, or, SO to speak, sweet
ened by lime. Fresh burnt lime rap
idly absorbs water and falls into a fine
dry powder. The muck is spread in
layers few inches in thickness, and
lime in this form is spread thinly over
it. 1t is not necessary to be ac-
curate in regard to proportions, but
best to be uniform. If the muck layer
be about four or five inches. thick, half
a bushel of lime will be sufficient for a
space of ten feet by ten, or 100 square
feet, and may even be used for double
that area. The muck being piled up
in layers each receiving its quota of
lime becomes changed-more easily
pulverized and disintegrated, equally
useful as an absorbent, and superior
ingredient Of composts.
The muck or peat Of some localities
may be applied directly to the land,
either fresh dug, if dry enough to haul,
in which condition it is best to apply it
in the autumn, so that it may become
ameliorated by the frosts and thaw-
ings of winter, or after such weather.
ing. Other kinds of muck cannot be
used advantageously without compost
ing with lime or manure, or with
ashes, or some other active substance,
while that of some localities applied
raw is positively deleteriOus to the
crops Of the first year.
AS a general rule muck may be made
most useful in ordinary farm opera
tions by mixing it with manure from
the stable, in the cow-yard, the pig
pens or the sheep-yards, and it is safe
to say that the addition of muck of
good quality in this way may easily
double or triple the value of the ma
nure made upon the farm. That is, a
yard capable of furnishing under ordi-
nary circumstances 100 loads of ma,
nure, may be made to furnish twice OF
three times as much, both in quantity
and value.-American A9riculturiSt.