158 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



something of a current to tlie water, is better than that from 

 stagnant, moss-covered bogs. The motion of the water seems 

 to wash out or prevent the formation of certain acids, which 

 often lessen the value of muck. 



In other localities we find something called muck, which 

 originated in a way different from any yet noticed. I allude 

 to the contents of basins which occur in upland woods. These 

 receive the wash of the surrounding land, with which is 

 mingled the leaves and branches of hard wood trees in various 

 stages of decay. In many instances water is retained by these 

 basins for only a portion of the year, and their contents undergo 

 a decomposition similar to that which would take place in a 

 farmer's barnyard or hog-pen. A kind of muck is formed in 

 such cases, which is far superior to that from swamps and bogs. 

 I have known cases where an application of it to land planted 

 with corn, produced equal effects on that and the succeeding 

 crops, with the same quantity of good barnyard manure applied 

 under similar circumstances. 



So much for the different articles called muck. Their chemi- 

 cal composition undoubtedly varies considerably. Johnson's 

 Farmer's Encyclopedia gives the result of the analysis of a 

 sample of soil from " an entirely barren peat moss," and also 

 the result of an analysis of a sample from a " fertile moss," 

 which are herewith appended. Two things are particularly 

 observable in regard to these analyses, viz. : the much greater 

 quantity of fine silicious sand in the fertile sample, and the 

 difference in the condition of the vegetable matter, it being 

 "inert" in the barren, and in a " decomposing" state in the 

 fertile sample. Both lots are understood to be drained. 



Sample from the barren lot. 



Parts. 



Fine silicious sand,' 29 



Inert vegetable matter, 289 



Alumina, ......... 14 



Oxide of iron, 30 



Soluble vegetable matter, with some sulphate of potash, . 11 



Sulphate of lime, (gypsum,) 12 



Loss, 15 



400 



