MUCK. 13 



MUCK. 



There has been so mnch said and so much written 

 on this subject, and so many heated discussions en 4 

 gaged in, that the very mention of the term causes a 

 ripple of merriment in the Florida State Horticultural 

 Society. Much of the discussion would not have oc- 

 curred if the arguments had been confined closely to 

 the question at issue. Usually the only fertilizing 

 element present in muck is nitrogen, and this varies 

 widely in different samples, from one per cent, in a 

 poor grade to six or seven in the best. However, if we 

 are sure that our soil needs this element, nitrogen, and 

 wants humus, all that we have to do is to get the per 

 cent, present in the supply and calculate whether it is 

 cheaper to use this source or to get it from some other 

 form. The later portion of the problem cannot be 

 worked out so easily ; general common sense will aid 

 us much in this. The particular crop to be grown on 

 that piece of land will have much to do with the ad- 

 visability of hauling muck. It is generally conceded 

 that muck is an important source of nitrogen and will 

 prove of great value where properly and intelligently 

 used. 



Besides its good quality as a fertilizer, muck in a 

 dry and powdered form makes one of the best absor- 

 bents and disinfectants. It is a first class absorbent 

 in horse stables, cattle sheds and similar places. The 

 moisture is taken up quickly and the odor arrested. 

 The importance of saving the urine of animals is 

 usually overlooked largely because there seems to be 

 no handy way of saving it. By using dry muck it is 

 as easily handled as commercial fertilizer. 



