Muck and Fresh Stable Manure. 175 



a ■ ■ ■ .. ' ■ ■ ■ . , , , . ==. 



composition of muck does not take place when com- 

 mitted to the earth. His " fanciful" conclusion, there- 

 fore, that " fermentation in the stercorary is as essential 

 to the preparation of food for plants, as fermentation in 

 the dough-trough is to making bread," is incorrect. 



" That it produces, in grain crops, smut, blight, and 

 mildew, or loss by laying of over-abundant straw." By 

 smut or blight, I have never seen a crop much injured : 

 but I see no reason why it should produce such an effect, 

 unless from the application of an excessive quantity. Mil- 

 dew is well known to attack those plants that are protracted 

 in their ripening, either from being weak or growing in 

 a low and deep soil. A few loads of muck have been 

 applied, every year, on the farm upon which my obser- 

 vations have been made ; and I have uniformly observed, 

 that the grain there was first ripe, unless put on a part 

 least favourable to early maturity. In one instance, I 

 particularly remember, (though, from the sparing man- 

 ner in which it was applied, there was but little differ- 

 ence in the quantity of straw) there was rather better than 

 a week difference in the time of its shooting into head. 

 As to " laying," that, I think, must be charged to the 

 farmer, for applying an excessive quantity. If he is more 

 apt to commit this error with muck than rotten dung, is 

 it not a proof of its superior efficacy ? 



" That it affects the ground with a durably deleterious 

 taint." I know of no principle upon which this can be 

 produced ; but, on the contrary, I have observed, that 

 where it was applied, green grass, (poa viridis) has almost 

 uniformly followed. I cannot admit the position, that 



"It is incontestably true, that dung operating with 

 violence is much shorter of duration." This violence of 



