EXTENSION DIVISION. 1S3 



structure. Ou the other hand muck and peat are changeable to such an 

 extent that the complete chemical and phj'sical structure of peat soil will 

 be changed completelj^ in one or two years after drainage, fertilization and 

 cropping. Furthermore, there is a deficiency of mineral, not only avail- 

 able mineral, but actual mineral, soluble or insoluble mineral matter. 

 Thirdly, while the problem of organic matter is the basis for the mainten- 

 ance of fertility in high-land soils, the matter of organic matter is obviously 

 no problem at all on peat and muck soils, which are usually more than 

 50% organic matter. When we recognize this, and recognize the physical 

 characteristics of muck, sponginess, lightness, high water-holding capacity, 

 •and other physical factors which are so entirely different from high-land 

 due to the fundamental physical structural difference between peat and 

 high-land soils, then the questions which would arise, entail a completely 

 new aspect of the various other problems concerning the peat and muck 

 soils. It is essential that this fundamental aspect of the problem be reiter- 

 ated because upon the understanding of this, depends the proper per- 

 spective of our work. 



Soil and climate are the basis upon which crops have been adapted to our 

 agriculture. The complete difference of soil conditions in that the entire 

 system of management for the maintenance of fertility of our muck areas 

 is reversed, has been noted. Our muck areas are frosty and the season 

 is limited. Muck farmers have been trjdng to adapt high-land crops 

 to muck land. Failure after failure has conclusively proved that muck land 

 varieties of general farm crops must be developed and tried out. Enough 

 work has been done by this office to show that the matter of varieties, as 

 far as adaptation to muck land is concerned is an enormous field, which 

 has not been exploited. Such considerations as early maturity, short- 

 straw, grain, grasses adapted to moist conditions, frost-proof crops in 

 general — all these questions have come up as distinctly muck problems. 



We have found important relationships between the addition of fer- 

 terlizers and the rapid breaking down of new muck. We have worked on 

 the matter of the relations of manure to the development of muck, and its 

 utilization in breaking down the raw muck. 



The entire ciuestion of intensive truck growing on muck is a sul)ject 

 in ilself. We do not recognize sufficiently that Michigan is by virtue of 

 its jiosition, likely to be one of the biggest truck sections in the United 

 States, and our muck is to play an important part in growing this truck. 

 Today we are one of the leading states in the Union in the production 

 of celery and onions, both of these almost exclusively grown on muck. 



The matter of varieties, the matter of demonstrati(His on questions 

 relating to these crops have received the attention of this office and will 

 receive more as this work is given more funds and more men are put on 

 it. We have been marking time this year, as it were, and affirming some 

 of the findings of the last year. 



The question of implements is demanding attention. The implements 

 used on high land are not at all adaptable to muck. The tendency for 

 implements to sink in muck makes wide wheels necessary, and implements 

 of low construction which can- be easily handled, are demanded. A 

 great deal of work could be done in cooperating with the manufacturers 

 in making tests for plows, and various farm implements on our niuck 

 areas; as for example, several of the big muck farms in the State of Michi- 

 gan today, do not use a manure spreader for the reason that the present 



