TWENTY-SEVENTH CHAPTER. 



FERTILIZERS FOR MUCKY SOILS. 



T^HE reverse of the conditions found in old, heavy- 



* manured market gardens, are met with on 



soils of a mucky or peaty character, which are often 



used for the production of vegetable crops, like 



onions, celery, carrots, mangels and 



Minerals for ^^^leT roots. These soils have all the 



Muck Lands. 



nitrogen that the crops, especially 

 for the later ones usually planted on them, may 

 need. The minerals, however — phosphoric acid and 

 especially potash — are likely to be in very scant 

 supply. 



The mechanical texture of such soils may be 

 improved by additions of sand, clay, lime, coal 

 ashes, etc.; but to maintain or increase their pro- 

 ductive capacity, applications of phosphoric acid 

 and potash in some form are required, while 

 those of nitrogen would in most cases be super- 

 fluous, and consequently wasteful. If we make use 

 of barnyard manure for the purpose of enriching 



