MANUKES.' 99 



Muck had better not be used immediately after 

 being taken from the swamp, as it is then almost 

 always sour. Its sourness is due to acids which it 

 contains, and these must be rectified by the applica- 

 tion of an alkali, or by long exposure to the weather, 

 before the muck is suitable for use. 



LIME AND SALT MIXTURE. 



The mixture, lime and salt, used in the decompo- 

 sition of muck, is made in the following manner : 



RECIPE. Take three bushels of shell lime, hot 

 from the kiln, or as fresh as possible, and slake it 

 with water in which one bushel of salt has been dis- 

 solved. 



Care must be taken to use only so much water as 

 is necessary to dissolve the salt, as it is difficult to 

 induce the lime to absorb even so large a quantity. 



In dissolving the salt, it is well to hang it in a 

 basket in the upper part of the water, as the salt 

 water will immediately settle towards the bottom 

 (being heavier), and allow the freshest water to be 

 nearest to the salt. In this way the salt may be all 

 dissolved, and thus make the brine used to slake the 

 lime. It will be necessary to apply the brine at 

 intervals of a day or two, and to stir the mass often, 

 as the amount of water is too great to be readily ab- 

 sorbed. 



This mixture should be made under cover, as, if 

 exposed, it would obtain moisture from rain or dew, 

 which would prevent the use of all the brine. 



