MANURES. 



159 



Sample from the fertile lot. 



Fine silicious sand, 

 Unalterable vegetable fibre, . 

 Decomposing vegetable fibre, . 

 Silicia, (flint,) .... 

 Alumina, (clay,) .... 

 Oxide of iron, .... 

 Soluble vegetable and saline matter, 

 Muriate of lime, .... 

 Loss, ...... 



Parts. 



156 



2 



110 



102 



16 



4 



4 



4 



2 



400 



Dana, in his Muck Manual, gives a summary of the constitu- 

 ents of twelve samples of muck or peat from different locali- 

 ties in this State, from which it appears that in regard to 

 " soluble geine," they varied from 10.00 to 48.80, and in " salts 

 and silicates," from 6.00 to 40.55. But he does not particu- 

 larly inform us in reference to the character of the localities 

 from which the samples were taken. 



It may be remarked that deposits of muck are sometimes 

 underlaid by marl, abounding, in many instances, with the 

 remains of crustaceous animals. In the Hudson River Valley, 

 and other portions of New York, and in the westerly portions 

 of this State, as well as other sections of this country, such 

 deposits are not rare. They are also common in England. 

 The muck from such localities is generally rich ; but where 

 they can be drained to a sufficient depth, the marl or marly 

 earth at the bottom affords a better soil for cultivation than the 

 muck does. Hence, where extensive deposits of this description 

 occur in England, the object is to get rid of the greater portion 

 of the vegetable matter in the cheapest and most expeditious 

 manner. In some instances this has been done by causing a 

 stream of water to carry it away. These shell marl-beds often 

 form the most productive and permanently fertile soils. The 

 marl, too, frequently produces excellent effects when spread on 

 land. 



From what has already been said, it follows that the use of 

 muck as a fertilizer should depend upon its quality, which, as 

 has been shown, varies according to localities or the circum- 



