The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-01
The Farm and Grove.

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TERTIIIzTNG MUCK LANDS.

The area of swamp, glade, marsh
or "prairieo lands which have re-
Gently been drained and brought I'm
der cultivation is very great. Thous-
ands of acrcg of celery, rice, onions,
tomatoes and Irish potatoes are now
grown on soils which Il few years ago
were thought to be worthless for any
agricultural purpose. Great success
has frequently attended the cropping
of these lands; still, wherever locat-
ed, they have presented difficulties
which have been only partially over
come by the average cultivator.
The chief reason for the increased
favor of these lands lies in the fact
of their undoubted adaptation to
certain crops. The unsatisfactory
results from their cultivation have
been caused by two very common
mistakes of treatment, correction OF
which is absolutely necessary before
the problem of full returns and eco
nomical production will be solved.
The two mistakes in practice,
which have seriously interfered with
the possibilities Of the muck soils of
| the south, relate to the use of lime
and of stable manure. Both these
practices have been founded on mis-
conception as to the true action of
these two useful applications.
Lime is used for two purposes.
Muck soils are commonly believed
TO be sour, and, as the SOurness must
result from the presence of excess of
organic acids, lime is used to neu-
tralize the acid. AS matter of fact
these soils are seldom so acid that
plOwiug and exposure to the air for a
few weeks, is not sufficient to render
them arabic. Lime for this purpose,
therefore is unnecessary and waste.
The other supposed advantage and
action of lime is as liberatOr of the
unavailable organic nitrogen stored
an the vegetable matter of which the
muck so largely consists. That lime
Iihcrates ammonia is of course true
but its use for this purpose on these
lands, usually fails to take into ac-
count the equally true and impOr-
tant fact, that ammonia, from this
or any other source, is not plant
food. Before it can become of any
use to the crop it must undergo a
change into nitric acid. This change
is effected by the activity of living
micro organisms in the soil, and is
known as notification. Unless this
process is completed, therefore, the
use of lime is worse than useless. II
sets the "a, am y, , Of f8Ill hold it
,ieXJ regular menti"s aJ the home o
Mrs. A. NJ. Steen, on Lemon steet
next Thursday, January 18th.
Mossrs. F. and w. Green two we'll
known young men Of Grandin, mem
bers of the Gem City Guards, wei,
among the many visitors in the cit!
Saturday.
At st. Mark s church next Sunday
evening the rector will preach OF
"New Year Resolutions" The topi
at the morning service will be 9Th,
Epiphany"
Mr.. Geo. Davis and accomplished
daughter, Miss Bessie Davis, of Tam
pa spent several days in Palatka las
week visiting the family of Mrs. G
NJ. Davis.
Dewitt c. Warns, who has beer
here for the past week visiting at tn,
home of DR.. and Mrs. w. II. ROsen
berg, returned to his home in Atlant;
Monday.
w. 0. Holmes has gone to Colora
do Springs in quest of health. H,
was accompanied from Jacksonville
by his sister. Mrs. Holmes has re
turned to Palatka.
Citizens in the West End are kick
ing about the condition of the ditche
in that section of town. This matte
should receive the immediate atten
ton of the street committee.
Aurelian Kane, connected will
the mechanical department of tht
Merrill Stevens Engineering Co.
of Jacksonville, spent Christmas il
the city with friends.
An interesting and solemn watcl
service was held at st. Marks Epis
copal church last night. The service
was short, beginning at II :I5 anC
: closing soon after the ushering in o
the New Year.
Prof. |. l. Hines is in Lake CITY
this week attending the state teach
ers' institute. He read a paper before
the institute on Wednesday morn
ing on the standard Course of STUDY
for High Schools"
Mrs. Jackson, Miss Nellie anC
Master George, are home again after
an absence of several months spent
with relatives in Michigan and Con.
necticut. They are all much inn
proved in health.
Patton Anderson Chapter U. D. c.
are earnestly requested to meet al
the home of Mrs. J. N. Blackwell al
3:3O o'clock, Thursday afternoon
January 18th, l9O4.-MRs. J. N
BLACKWELL, Secretary.
Guy w. Sackett has returned tC
his post of duty on the government
steamer LeReve, after n weeks holt
day vacation spent with relatives
and friends in st. Augustine, Jack
sonville and Brunswick, Ga.
Miss Elsie Uedemann of Jackson
vile, accomplished daughter of A
l.. Uedemann the former well-knowu
wholesale groceryman of this city
lately deceased, is here on visit to
the family of Mrs. E. PIiddy.
Miss Fannie T. Peck. the accom-
plished daughter of DIR. S. f. Peck OF
Pomona was visitor in the city