128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



have done it this last year, would it not be profitable to do 

 so ? I got this year, after I cut my rye-crop, a ton of rowen 

 to the acre ; and I never knew an instance in my life when I 

 failed to get a good catch of grass after rye. We used to 

 sow oats, thinking that we would get a good crop of hay the 

 next 3'ear ; but many of you know, that, if we sow oats on 

 good land, they will lodge, and kill out half the grass, and 

 the consequence is, that the next year weeds come up, and 

 take the place of the grass. It is not so with the rye-crop. 

 I believe in it. 



Mr. Russell. This question, germane to the subject, was 

 handed in a few moments ago : " The land being a muck- 

 meadow, inclining up, and stocked to grass, what is the best 

 fertilizer when barn-manure cannot be obtained for less than 

 eight dollars a cord ? and how should it be applied ? " 



Dr. Nichols. I hope, gentlemen, I am not making myself 

 too prominent. I dislike to take up too much of your time. 

 This matter is an interesting one. I do not suppose that you 

 expect me to go into a full discussion of fertilizers ; I do 

 not think that I can : but I will confine my remarks to some 

 experiments, and the results of some observations, on muck. 

 It seems to me that comes very prominently in here ; and I 

 happen to be able to give you some of the results of investi- 

 gations recently made, which I think will interest you. This 

 paper which I have here presents some views of the nature 

 of swamp-muck, and also in regard to its value in agricul- 

 ture. I notice that in this question which has bean brought 

 in here, there is no recognition of the view v/hich is taken 

 by some, that muck is a manure. The gentleman who puts 

 the question evidently does not believe that muck is manure ; 

 and the object of this paper is to show you that it cannot 

 be manure in any sense in which that term is used. 



THE NATURE OF SWAMP-MUCK, AND ITS VALUE IN AGRI- 

 CULTURE. 



The general term " muck " has been given to those deposits 

 of dark vegetable matter stored in low bogs and meadows, 

 and in the bottoms of ponds found upon many farms in the 

 Northern States. The term is perhaps as good as any that 

 may be suggested ; although it does not convey a clear idea 

 of any special kinds or varieties, of wliich there are many. 



