All of the deposits are wet; some of them are saturated all of the year 

 and as a result, decay proceeds very slowly. In this case the surface ma- 

 terial is usually brown or light brown and fibrous. The materials are so 

 well preserved that the original plants may be identified. This kind of soil 

 is called peat. 



In other cases, the deposit dries out to some extent during part of the 

 year and more decay has occurred. The surface material is dark brown to 

 black, more or less granular, and so completely broken down that it is 

 difficult or impossible to identify the original plants. This soil is called muck. 



There are possibly 100,000 acres or more of this kind of land scattered 

 over the State in tracts too small to show on the Generalized Soil Associ- 

 ation Map (Figure 8l. Mucks and peats are found in all parts of the State 

 and as a result, the organic deposits may be underlain by sands, silts, 

 glacial till, or even rock. Partial soil surveys show that four fifths of the 

 muck and peat soils support trees, such as alder, willow, red maple, northern 

 white cedar, tamarack, black spruce, and balsam-fir. 



Much of the remainder is too wet to support tree growth and is covered 

 with sedges, reeds, grass, sphagnum moss, and other mosses and shrubs. 

 Only one percent is cropped, almost entirely to hay, and about the same 

 amount is pastured. 



Crop Adaptations 



The uses of these areas are very limited for agricultural purposes, due 

 to the soil conditions and the fact that they are generally frost pockets. 

 Some of the muck areas are used for wild hay. but the economic value of 

 such a crop, coupled with the diffculties of harvesting it. make it a very 

 questionable praciice. There are large bodies of muck in other sections of 

 the country, where the growing season and other conditions are more favor- 

 able, that are utilized for intensive cultivation after artificial drainage is 

 installed. 



The areas in New Hampshire are usually small, inaccessible in many 

 cases, and subject to definite frost hazards. The problem of artificial drainage 

 is very complex due to the type of material and the scarcity of suitable out- 

 lets. Many of these areas have trees growing on them at the present time, 

 and this use should be encouraged where it exists. Another major use for 

 many of these areas is to encourage measures that are beneficial for wild- 

 life. These wildlife measures are relatively easy to carry out. and they pro- 

 vide a productive use for areas that otherwise would probably be of very 

 little use for agriculture. 



Some of the woody mucks of New Hampshire, formed from hardwood 

 tree residues, are quite productive. If the cost of artificial drainage is not 

 excessive, they make good hay and pasture land. Usually, however, the high 

 cost of drainage would require that they be used for the production of high 

 value crops such as vegetables. Muck farming requires a very specialized 

 type of management, and there are hazards as well as opportunities in this 

 enterprise. 



When drained, the surface of muck and peat soils shrinks about one 

 third of its volume during the first two or three years. After that, the soil 

 may subside an inch or more a year because the artificial drainage stimu- 

 lates more rapid decay. Drained muck is subject to wind erosion which not 



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