131 



where under the influence of weather it soon breaks down. If 

 used on beds or borders it is forked over, and mixed with the 

 other soil soon after it has been put on. For lawns it is used in 

 the proportion of about 20 loads to the acre, it is then chain 

 harrowed and raked, and after that it soon works down below the 

 grass. When the lake was first cleaned out in 1892 to 1894 the 

 "mud was found to be five feet deep in some parts, and altogether 

 some thousands of loads were removed. 



m 



The 

 and 



lake, and also of some pond mud from Nottinghamshire, 

 sample from Kew contained 4515 per cent, of moisture 

 that from Nottinghamshire contained 78*81 per cent. ; in order to 

 enable them to be compared, the results are given in the following 

 table free of moisture ; 



Sample 

 from Kew. 



Sample 

 from Notts 



Organic matter* and loss on heating 

 Oxide of iron and aluminium 



Lime 



Magnesia, alkalies, &c. 



Carbonic acid 

 Phosphoric acid 

 Insoluble silicec 



. - • 



« • • 



• •• 



• • • 



• • • 



• t • 



» • 



Total 



Per cent 

 2771 

 10-45 

 7*79 



7-05 



0-32 

 46*68 



100 



•Containing nitrogen ... 

 Equal to ammonia 



0-439 

 0-533 



0-862 



It will be seen that the Kew sample in its dry state had less 

 than half the quantity of vegetable matter (and nitrogen derived 

 therefrom) contained in the other. It had, however, more lime 

 and nearly as much phosphoric acid. The fact that the one 



sam 



the Kew sample in its natural state the richer of the two. The 

 quantity of lime would make it a useful material for any land 

 where lime is needed. 



Two other samples of mud from ponds in Kent are referred to 

 in the fifth report of the Analytical Laboratory at the South-Eastern 

 Agricultural College, Wye. Sample A was from a pond which had 

 not been "mudded" since 1836, and as neither ditches nor drains 

 run into it, the water supply has been kept up only by percolation 

 through the soil which is described as a sandy clay. For many 

 years the pond had, throughout the summer, been a mass of weeds, 



Nymph 



The analysis showed this 



mud to contain 23'3 per cent, of water, 7-8 per cent, of organic 

 matter, and -183 per cent, of nitrogen. 



Sample B was from an adjacent pond into which a little ditch 



and several drains run. 



be 



very rich and it was used as a dressing for hops. Analysis showed, 

 however, that the mud was little, if any, richer than the soil of the 

 hop garden, and it had not, therefore, much value as a fertiliser. 



31398 



C 2 



