18 



MUCK. 







Where other fertilizers cannot be easily obtained, 

 muck from the swamps is to be had in abundance in almost 

 any part of the State. Fresh dug muck applied to the soil 

 is of but little immediate benefit, but when treated with 

 fresh caustic lime or composted with stable manure or 

 other materials and then applied, it has a very beneficial 

 effect. A very good way to apply muck is to remove it 

 from the swamp to dry land, allow it to remain in large 

 piles for some months or until it is pretty well decomposed, 

 then apply it about the trees in liberal quantities, spread it 

 well, and in a few weeks sprinkle over it a peck of oyster 

 shell lime to each tree. This should be done in January 

 or February. After a few days or weeks it should be 

 thoroughly worked over and mixed with the surface soil 

 with hoe or cultivator. The plow buries it too deep and 

 does not mix it with the soil so well as the cultivator. 



All fertilizers should be applied to the surface and 

 worked into the soil as evenly and lightly as possible. In 

 this condition the elements play an important part in con- 

 verting the different articles into plant food which is car- 

 ried down to the roots by the rainfall. Another mode of 

 enlarging the manure heap by the use of muck, is to cart 

 it to the cow-pen, hog-pen or horse stable, and allow it to 

 receive the fluids and droppings of animals. In this way, 

 from its well known powers of absorption, all the inorganic 

 properties of manures will be saved, and after the muck 

 has become sufficiently saturated with the animal excretions 

 it should be thrown into heaps and allowed to ferment, 

 whn it will be in a fit condition to apply as a dressing to 

 the soil. One of the best fertilizers we ever used for the 

 growing orange trees was a compost of muck, hard wood 

 ashes and fine ground bone three parts mack, two parts 



