NATURE OF SWAMP-MUCK. 137 



MUCK-HUMUS. 



Let us look for a mbment at the nature and value of the 

 naked muck-humus, — that is, what remains after the separa- 

 tion of the nitrogen and salts, — and contrast it with exhausted 

 manure. The humus, or "geine," as Dana persists in calling 

 it, which results from the decay, or mouldering, of vegetable 

 matter under water or in moist places, is a very different 

 substance from that which results from the decay or decom- 

 position of hay and grains in passing through the digestive 

 and assimilating organs of animals. It must be admitted 

 that muck very rarely represents merely the mineral con- 

 stituents of the plants from whose remains it has been 

 formed; neither does its organic portion represent those 

 structures, as when changed under other or usual conditions. 

 In virtue of a kind of dialysis, or chemical re-action, not only 

 mineral constituents are changed or abstracted, but vegetable 

 tissues undergo a metamorphosis which renders the changed 

 mass not as well suited as other varieties of carbonaceous 

 material to form fertile soils. 



Hay and other forms of food consumed by animals, in 

 passing through living organs, have their elements so acted 

 upon, that they speedily pass into putrefactive fermentation, 

 which breaks down tissues or cellular structures with great 

 rapidity. The catalysis of life impresses a peculiar power 

 upon animal foods, and introduces a force of disassociation 

 not noticed in other processes : hence manure has properties 

 not found in any substance adapted to the nourishment of 

 plants. Muck-humus and dung-humus can only be con- 

 trasted to the advantage of the latter. "The former resists 

 change (necessary change) when applied to silicious soils ; 

 and when muck-humus is mixed in association with manure, 

 the former is distinguishable on fields often for several years 

 after the latter has gone from sight. In any just and ac- 

 curate estimation of the comparative value of muck and 

 manure, this important factor must not be lost sight of. 



FARM-TEIALS OF MUCK. 



9 



To present in detail the observations and experiments 

 upon muck made at Winnekeni Farm in the past quarter of 

 a century would require space only afforded by a large vol- 



