4 MUCK CROPS 



from higher types of plants; black ash, elm, 

 swamp maple, and other deciduous trees and 

 shrubs are often found growing on the most 

 desirable muck areas and must have pre- 

 viously had ancestry. These generally sig- 

 nify to most experienced men that their 

 characteristic growth is an indication that 

 the soil will be suited to intensive forms of 

 vegetable production. Often evergreens, 

 cedars and tamarack predominate, and as a 

 rule, muck made up largely of materials from 

 such species is a less desirable soil for crop- 

 ping, often spoken of as muck of low crop 

 value. Oftentimes these latter trees grow on 

 a soil that will not produce (after being 

 cleared) a crop of either onions, celery or 

 lettuce. 



Stage of Decay of Muck. The stage of 

 decay and the physical condition of the soil 

 are very important. Often the range is from 

 raw peat fibrous and with scarcely any de- 

 cay to the best quality of muck fine, dark, 

 advanced decay. Often these terms are con- 

 fused. As a rule, the term peat should be 

 applied to the fibrous material in the early 

 stages of decay coarse, woody soil with a 

 low crop value. It contains very little of the 



