NITROGEN IN MUCK. 119 



decaying matter which serves as a medium through 

 and in which the process of nitrification is carried 

 on, and to add to its capacity for absorbing and 

 holding moisture, etc. In this case, a fair average 

 quality of muck, properly prepared, may give us 

 every advantage of stable manure at a reasonable 

 cost of materials and preparation. 



The chief ingredient of plant food which muck 

 or peat contain is nitrogen, and of this an average 

 sample of wet muck has a little more than one third 

 per cent, or about seven pounds per ton. By 

 exposing the muck for some time to the air, and 

 giving about half of the water a chance to evaporate, 

 we can get it reasonably dry, so that a ton of it 

 would contain twelve pounds of nitrogen. If this 

 were readily available, it would make the ton of this 

 partially dried muck worth about two dollars. Some 

 samples when perfectly dry have so much nitrogen 

 that I have seen the value estimated by some of the 

 stations at nine dollars per ton. 



The nitrogen in muck is not readily available, but 

 we will have little difficulty in making it so by a 

 little manipulation. I think I have already men- 

 tioned one way on a former occasion. This is by 

 making use of the dry or partially dry muck as 

 bedding for stock — horses, cows, pigs, etc. — and as 

 absorbent in poultry -houses, closets, etc. Here it 

 will soak up the liquids and become mixed with the 

 solids. All that is of value in voidings will be held 

 and saved from waste or deterioration. After having 

 served its purpose in the stables, the muck is thrown 

 together in a square heap to ferment, and is occa- 

 sionally shoveled over. Thus its own original stores 

 of nitrogen are changed by chemical action and 

 gradually rendered available, so that the manure 



