198 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. 



the composition of which is night soil and dried swamp 

 muck or charcoal dust as an absorbent. It is sold at 

 about $12 to $15 per ton, and at that price may be equal 

 in value, if too much of the absorbing material is not 

 used, to Bone Dust at $40 per ton. 



In my early experience as a market gardener, I used 

 large quantities of Night Soil for vegetable crops with 

 the very best results. It was mixed with Stable Manure 

 at the rate of about one ton of Night Soil to fifteen 

 tons of Stable Manure, and put on the land, so mixed, 

 at the rate of 25 tons per acre. In the absence of Stable 

 Manure, dry soil, charcoal dust, sawdust, or any material 

 that will absorb it, will do. Thus mixed, if equal 

 quantities of each have been used, ten tons may be used 

 per acre, if plowed in; if sowed on tcp, to be harrowed 

 in, say five tons. 



Salt has little or no value as a fertilizer, except as a 

 medium of absorbing moisture; for experience shows 

 that soils impregnated by a saline atmosphere are no 

 more fertile than those inland, out of the reach of such 

 an atmosphere. 



Muck is the name given to a deposit usually largely 

 composed of vegetable matter, found in swamps or in 

 hollows in forest lands. Of itself it has usually but little 

 fertilizing property, but from its porous nature, when dry, 

 it is one of the best materials to use to mix with other 

 manures as an absorbent. It can be used to great ad- 

 vantage if dug out in winter and piled up in narrow ridges, 

 so that it can be partly dried and " sweetened '' in sum- 

 mer. Thus dry, if mixed with Stable Manure, or, better 

 yet, thrown in layers three or four inches thick in the 

 cattle or hog yard, where it can be trodden down and 

 amalgamated with the manure, the value of the manure 

 thus treated will be nearly doubled. 



