The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-18
How to Make Muck Compost.

How to Make Muck Compost.
Editor Morning News: have yet to find
q better general fertilizer for improving
and retaining worn out land or very san
dy soil than compost made up of muck,
barnyard manure, and kainit, judicously
mixed together for it is fact that there
are some soils in our southern country so
much run down by continued cropping OF
cotton and the constant application OF
guauo along with the clean cultivation
necessary for the crop, that really there Is
no back bone left 10 1t as II were, 10 pro
duce anything. great many OF these
soils are actually too poor TO grow even
cow peas or any leguminOus crop that
could be used for turning under green TO
improve IL, ana even II a -lgnt crop coulu
ba made and plowed under the soil Is too
thin TO decOmpOse it, ana II would only
sour and cause what you might caI
sort of agricultural dyspepsia and the best
remedy for land Of this sort IS the above
compost
sCil2 Soil is the earthly matter in which
vegetation has its life and growth, IL con-
sists of organic matter mixed with sand
and pulverized rock and other materials.
Now. If soil is deficient in this organic
matter we have got to add II In some way
or other 10 get the land TO produce the
crops wanted, and if the soil is too poor
10 grow material to make its own organic
matter and assimilate ii after 1t Is grown
and plowed under, we have got TO apply
III i'm the form most easily aVdliaDlei anu
nothing that know Of is more suitable TOT
this purpose than muck. OF course there
are several kinds or muck, lnete is "Hdt
We know as peat muck, and Is composed
principally of somewhat dry and hbrous
roots We meet with beds of this muck
all through the south, particularly IN
places where cane brake used to grow.
This peaty muck is very valuable as an
absorbent for liquids around the stable
and barn, and when perfectly cry MAKES
good bedding for stock, and used for these
purposes makes a very valuable ADDITION
TO the farmer s manure pile Ihere is an
other kind Of muck such as we ma IN
drained sWamps and containing somewhat
less organic matter than the other, but by
Slightly drying il by exposure to the at
mOsphere, is really the best muck 10 COM
post with manure as the organic matter
in it is more readily available for the crops
TO be grown on the land IL IS appueu 70,
and there is stil another kind OF muck
that we meet with in our hammocks, par
ticularly along the Gult coast or IN Dellus
of creeks where the back water deposits
all leaves and rubbish, as borne along on
the current. This sort OF muck Is prlh-
leaves, and contains more potash than the
others and consequently is also a very
valuable addition TO the compost neap,
butt in making up a compost, we nave 70
take whatever is easiest to get, as II is not
every one that has got any OF these KINDS
of muck on his lana ana II ne caIlHoI Set
them has to do without them But those
who have muck Of any OF these xmas II
fnev are not utilizing them by compost
ing they are losing very valuable assls-
liant towards making their land more val
liable and yielding better crops. In making
a
~ to be we'll protected from sun and ram,
particularly sun, little rain VIII even
help it g little but sun It must not get
it is also desirable that the heap be turn
cd over more than once and to allow TINS
TO be done there should be plenty OF room
for that purpose. In beginning neap OF
This kind 1 like to lay at the bottom quite
a pie of all sorts OF loose rubplsh lylhS
around such as old corn stalks, loose bed
ding, etc, this at the bottom TO me dtpln i
of say ten inches or so makes the best
kind of foundation to begin with, then six
inches or so of the muck followed Dy a
layer of barnyard manure Two or three
inches thick and on the top of the manure
scatter kainit say good handful to every
shovelful of manure. The manure on the
muck sets decomposition TO work very
rapidly setting the ammonia free but the
kainit keeps this ammonia from escaping
and locks it up as 1t We're just where II IS,
if we did not use the KANT the nitrogen III
both the muck and manure would be near
" all lost. We must also see that we get
our heap well tramped down ana made as
solid as possible, on top of the manure
again put some more rubbish, another lay
er of muck, then another layer OF
manure and kaln 1n+t1 ana o,r proceed Ses9
is complete, taking care always to keep
the layers as level and uniform as posi-
Bile and be sure and tramp them well un-
der to make it solid. 1t is best to make the
Heap gradually just as the manure is be-
ing produced, say a layer once or twice
every week according TO the stock on hand
producing it. After our heap Is completed
ii should stand at least six months before
using it and TO be turned over and well
mixed up once or twice during tndt time,
and in turning it over perhaps we may
have to use more kainit. II we smell any
nitrogen escaping, which we can readily
do if il is, in piling up again we have got
70 make it as solid as before TO get the
most good out of it. and if the manure IS
rich in phosphate from caltIe leu on Whe5'i
brand and such feed we nave got 10 add
considerable more kainit to make this a
well balanced fertilizer, generally speak
ing this product has got to be supplement-
81 Nv
returns as from its composition IL IS more
Of d general manure and the returns eA-
tend over a number of years when makes
= all the more valuable for old lands or
VScy sandy soils
duct, that all depends on what the lana Is
like that it is TO be applied to, on old worn
out lands twenty TO thirty tons per acre
would not be any too mucn, scattered
broadcast as evenly as possible, all Jumps
broken up with the back of spade and
plowed well under with good turning
pillow and then adding the potash neces-
Sary for the particular crop 20 ne Hdue
ought to put almost any soil in the very
best physical condition for many years TO
come On new land and very sandy per-
haps a little less would do but in this as
in everything else in that line, we nave 10
be guided a good deal by common sense.
1t is a fact that we cannot ignore
that the southern farmer don't get the
good out of his land that he might by
using what nature provides MIN with, ana
the time is ripe for great Improvements
2
practices as adopted by our most pro
gressive farmers don't give back to the
soil what he really ought to make up for
the drain of successive groupings and next
TO green manuring muck takes very high
place, and is yearly increasing IN favor,
but 10 get the best out of it, we have
got to compost it, on somewhat the same
lines as / have already mentioned. l have
proved its value, and every one who has
truly and honestly tried it says the same.
c. K. McQuarrie.
DE Funiak Springs, Fla.
We would be very glad if the author of
the above would inform US q If he has
ever had the muck analyzed by a Compe-
tent chemist; 90 what it costs to apply the
twenty to thirty tons of it TO an acre; is
the muck easy of access and what dis
lance is it hauled.
There has been very little muck used
20 any real profit by anyone in this coun-
Try, and we would be truly glad to be
shown that this is an instance where there
Is profit in its use.