WHAT IS MUCK? 13 



organic matter and its accompanying nitro- 

 gen. Mucks vary greatly in the organic 

 matter which they contain. Occasionally a 

 peaty muck will have as high as 95 pounds 

 of organic matter for each 100 pounds of dry 

 matter, while others will have little more 

 than half that amount. 



The nitrogen in mucks is for the most part 

 in inert compounds and is not immediately 

 available for plant food. The quantity of 

 nitrogen in mucks also varies greatly. Ttls 

 not a matter of indifference whether the 

 muck is high or low in nitrogen content. 

 While by far the larger part of the nitrogen 

 in these materials is in a form that is insol- 

 uble in water and is considered, as a plant 

 food, comparatively inert, it is a matter of 

 common experience that this nitrogen may 

 be made to contribute to the support of crops 

 and that it has, therefore, a considerable 

 money value. 



Muck-like Substances. There are certain 

 substances that resemble muck in appear- 

 ance. An analysis of some of these will show 

 their differences. 



The following table shows the constitu- 

 ents in 100 pounds of dry matter. 



