Sick Soils not Influenced by Parasites 29 



requires it. After that an additional application of 

 1000 pounds of burned lime or 2000 pounds of lime- 

 stone every five years will be desirable. Should lime 

 be used at more frequent intervals, the organic matter 

 of the soil will fast deplete. The saying that "lime 

 makes the father rich and the son poor" is only true 

 where the use of lime is overdone, and not otherwise. 



4. Muck or Peat Soils 



Muck or peat soil is sick because most plants 

 refuse to grow there unless it is properly treated. 

 However, muck may be transformed into the best 

 trucking land. There are States in the Union 

 which possess muck lands by the thousands of acres. 

 Yet these are the last to be reclaimed. In 

 Europe, scientists have long concerned them- 

 selves with the reclaiming and utilization of muck 

 lands. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have dealt 

 to a large extent and with fair success with the 

 problem, though much of it still remains to be 

 solved. As the term implies, peaty soils are those in 

 which peat is the dominating constituent. Peat is 

 always formed under water, in swamps or marshes, 

 undrained flat land, indeed, any place where water- 

 loving plants grow in abundance. Most peat is 

 made up mainly of sphagnum and moss. Grass peat 

 is composed of swamp grasses, sedges, rushes, or 

 flags. In swamps where rushes, sedges, or other 

 grasses occur, peat formation is more rapid than 

 where moss or sphagnum grows. Peat itself is 

 nothing more than rotten vegetable matter. Com- 



