Weight, hisl'ed and shelled. 



Lot No. 6, 



1-3 of Lot. 6-2-3 Rods. -20 square Eods. 

 Actual wt. Estlnia, tstimatcd. 



In ear. Shelled. In ear. Shelled. 



lbs. lbs. lbs. bush. lbs. 



Acre. 



Estimated. 



Shelled. 



bushels. 



254 187 TG2 9 21; 7-i^ 



Weight of Stover. 

 Lot No. 6, . . I 586 lbs. | 1758 lbs. | 7 ^ tons. 



All of -which is respectfully submitted, 



Aaron D, Weld. 

 Weld Farm, West Eoxhury, Dec. 12, 1861. 



MUCK AND ITS USES. 



BT SAXFORD HOWARD. 



Perhaps some definition should be given, in the first place, of 

 the term muck. In England it is applied to the ordinary manures 

 of the farm ; hence the adage — " Muck is the Mother of Money." 

 In our country, or at least in this section, the term is commonly 

 apphed to the substance of bogs and swamps, including, in many 

 instances, -what -svould be called peat in other countries. It is 

 seldom that much discrimination is used in its application, and it 

 is therefore made to comprehend substances -which difier greatly 

 in composition and value. As a matter of course, the estimation 

 in Avhich farmers hold -what is called muck, varies widelv. One 

 man says it is Avorthless, or nearly so, -while another considers it 

 of nearly equal value -with farm-yard manure. This discrepancy 

 may be accounted for in part by the difference in quality of so- 

 called muck, in part by the manner in -which it is used, and in 

 part by the character of the soil to -which it is applied. 



To further illustrate the subject, -we may consider the origin of 

 the different kinds of muck. That -v\hich is most common in this 

 vicinity is found in bogs or s-wamps, -which in their natural condi- 

 tion produce chiefly vegetation of a \o\; order. All localities 

 ■where it is found have too much -water for the growth of valuable 

 plants. Where the -^\ater is stagnant, moss is often found as the 

 principal vegetable growth. Different species of this plant, in 

 fact, form so large a portion of the vegetation of bogs, that in 

 England such places are frequently called " mosses." The moss 

 obtains a hold, shoots up a httle above the -n-ater, and as it grows 

 from year to year, the lower portion settles down and decays — 

 forms "muck." Thus the growth continues, and the decayed 

 substance accumulates, becoming more solid with age and pres- 

 sure, till at length it acquires the character of peat — may be cut 

 in pieces, -which will retain their shape when dried, and may be 



