MUCK: ITS VALUE AND USE. 13 j 



loss to decide which we would prefer for a fertilizer, a ton of 

 leaves from hard wood trees or a ton of pine leaves, so the 

 reason for the diflference in the quality of muck is easily- 

 accounted for, from the different articles of which it is formed. 



Again, this variation in its quality renders scientific analysis, 

 almost useless except for particular deposits, as the compo- 

 nent parts or elements of a specimen from one bed may vary 

 largely or entirely from that of another. Our leading agri- 

 cultural chemists have analyzed muck and the tables are open 

 for inspection, and as a whole they are certainly favorable to 

 the muck. 



As it is admitted that barn manure is the most valuable 

 fertilizer as a whole, and must be the farmer's main reliance, 

 let us see what the doctors say in regard to the comparative 

 value of the material under consideration. Prof. S. W. 

 Johnson has compared, by chemical analysis, muck to barn 

 manure, and given as the result of the comparison, that muck 

 contains in a given quantity about one-third more organic 

 matter, an equal amount of lime and nitrogen, but is deficient 

 in potash, magnesia, phosphoric and sulphuric acids. These 

 deficiencies of muck, as to composition, he declares may be 

 corrected as regards potash, by adding to each ton of it 

 twenty jDounds of potash of commerce or one hundred pounds 

 of unleached wood ashes; as regards phosphoric and 

 sulphuric acids, by adding twenty pounds each of bone, dust, 

 and plaster of Paris. In fact, he says, the addition just 

 named will convert any fresh peat (muck) containing not 

 more than 80 per cent, of water, and not less than 20 per 

 cent, of organic matter into a mixture having as much 

 fertilizing matter as stable dung, with the possible exception 

 of nitrogen. By this it would seem it will hardly pay to 

 handle barnyard manure, if it will not pay to handle muck, 

 for certainly the muck is only secondary in value and impor- 

 tance to the barn manure. 



But there is yet another matter in connection with the use 

 and value of muck as a fertilizer which I wish to take into 

 consideration, as I think it is really the most important, and 



