294 



THE MANAGEMENT OF MARSH LANDS 



peat and muck soils can be made productive and profitable. In 

 fact, there are certain advantages in farming such lands, as: (a) 

 They are especially well adapted to highly intensive types of farm- 

 ing such as truck growing and market gardening; (6) they are 

 easily worked; (c) they respond quickly to proper fertilization, 

 and (d) they usually supply crops with sufficient moisture during 

 dry periods. 



Most Desirable Muck and Peat. Muck lands are, as a rule, 

 more desirable to reclaim than peat. Of the peats, those that are 

 shallow, well-decomposed and underlaid by clay or silty clay are the 

 most desirable. Those that are "raw," coarse and deep, or raw and 

 underlaid by coarse sand, on the other hand, are the least desirable. 



Problems in Peat and Muck Management. In developing 

 and farming peat and muck lands a number of problems must 

 receive careful consideration. These problems should be kept 

 well in mind, together with the manner in which they should be 

 solved. These are summarized in the following table: 



Problems in Peat and Muck Management and Their Solutions 



Problems 



Solutions 



Excessive moisture 



Excessive grass, moss or brush 



Breaking when tough turf exists 



Deficient in potassium and phosphorus 

 May lack nitrifying organisms 

 If strongly acid 

 Too loose seed bed 



Subject to late spring and early fall 

 frosts* 



Thorough drainage 



Burn (do not burn the peat) 



Use heavy 18" or 24"-bottom tractor 



plows 



Use potash and phosphate fertilizers 

 Apply manure 

 Lime the land 



Compact through the use of rollers 

 Select proper crops and varieties; 



fertilize properly 



* On marshes in the Northern states. See Chapter IX. 



Drainage. It is useless to attempt the growing of crops on 

 marsh lands without adequate underdrainage. Open ditches alone 

 often provide just enough drainage to encourage the farmer to 

 plow and plant, but do not provide the thorough drainage neces- 

 sary to ensure the crops. Tile in peat should be laid deep to permit 

 of deep drainage and to allow for the shrinkage and the settling 

 of the soil. The lines of tile should be given sufficient fall to permit 

 them to carry off the water. All springs or water-bearing sub- 

 strata should be located and tapped with lines of tile. The marsh 

 zone bordering the high land should be especially well drained, 

 since this is often the wettest portion of the marsh. 



