SECRETARIES EPORT. 93 



I intend to plant in the spring. I again replenish the yard, 

 giving me, with the proceeds of my hog yard, from 100 to 150 

 loads more in the following spring. In addition, I have for two 

 years past composted, in the field adjoining my peat bog, from 

 75 to 100 loads of peat (thrown from the pit in summer or 

 autumn) with sea and rockweed, or ashes and animal manure, 

 which I esteem of equal value to barn-yard manure. I esti- 

 mate the value of a cord, or four ox cart loads of barn yard 

 manure composted as above, at from $4 to $5. We esteem the 

 value of this for a corn crop and the improvement of land 

 higher than pure animal manure." 



I give one more extract from a farmer of Berkshire County. 

 He says : " I have used swamp muck for a number of years 

 past with good results, hj mixing it with yard and stable 

 manures in the proportion of one-third to one-half muck, and 

 consider it worth one dollar per load to use for agricultural 

 purposes on soils that are a mixture of loam and gravel." 



The testimony is uniformly in favor of composting muck 

 with other manures. Its power of absorbing valuable liquid 

 and gaseous substances is very considerable ; and this makes it 

 an excellent substance to mix with guano when the latter is to 

 be used as a top dressing. The importance of a free use of 

 dry swamp muck as an absorbent of the liquid manures of the 

 barn and stable can hardly be over-estimated. The loss 

 throughout the State from the neglect and consequent waste 

 of these rich manures, which, with a little care, might all be 

 saved, is almost incredible. The attention of farmers was but 

 lately called to this subject ; but the value of these substances 

 is acknowledged by some, and efforts are now made to save 

 them by means of the use of muck and loam, either properly 

 composted in the barn cellar, or supplied daily to the stalls 

 of cattle. No judicious farmer should neglect to save all such 

 substances as tend to increase the value and productiveness of 

 his lands. It is poor economy and bad calculation to buy con- 

 centrated manures, or to buy any manures abroad, till every 

 thing of the kind is saved at home. 



From what has been said, we may infer that good dry swamp 

 muck is worth on an average, from $1.25 to $1.50 per cord; 

 that it is best on light, loamy, sandy, or gravelly soils ; and 



