28 MUCK CROPS 



The use of muck as a stable absorbent adds 

 greatly to its store of nitrogen, because of 

 the nitrogen in the urine thus taken up, and 

 the germs always present in manure accel- 

 erate the conversion of the inert nitrogen 

 into available forms. 



In the preparation of muck composts, 

 dung or fish is the material commonly used 

 to excite fermentation. Sometimes garden 

 loam is used. Most farmers prefer to make 

 composts in heaps. A common plan is to lay 

 down a bed of muck 6 or 8 feet wide and of 

 indefinite length. The muck should be a foot 

 or so thick, being covered with a layer of 

 dung of somewhat less thickness, 6 to 8 

 inches, followed by another layer of muck 

 and so on. Different farmers use very differ- 

 ent proportions of muck. 



The ordinary practice seems to vary from 

 i to 5 parts of muck to i part of dung. Rich 

 dung from stall-fed stock will ferment more 

 muck than that from animals less highly fed. 

 The practical rule is to use no more muck 

 than can be thoroughly fermented by the 

 manure. In case of sour or acid muck, the 

 addition of small amounts of lime or wood 

 ashes will correct the acidity and hasten fer- 

 mentation. It will be noticed that the farm 



