742 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



ranck for agriciiltiial purposes rests, first, upon its mineral constitu- 

 ents, which, as above noted, are, practically, of not much account ; 

 and, second, upon its carbonaceous substance, which makes up most 

 of its bulk, and in which its value mainly consists. 



In preparing muck for use, the first essential is to deprive it of 

 moisture as far as is possible without too much expense. The best 

 way of doing this is to dig it in summer, and throw it in piles on 

 dry ground with surface drainage and under cover. The next step is 

 to make it fine, and to neutralize any injurious sourness. This is best 

 done by subjecting the heaps to the action of frost, and afterward 

 shoveling them well with quick-lime. If the other conditions have 

 been well fulfilled, two or three bushels of lime will be enough for a 

 cord of muck. When muck is designed for composting, to much 

 lime will do mischief by favoring the elimination of ammonia from 

 its compounds, and their consequent escape and loss.. It will be seen 

 from this that the better plan is to dig the muck from the swamp a 

 year before it is needed. This done and our material being ready 

 for use, we may proceed to consider the philosophy of its action 

 when mingled with the soil, and from this deduce the conditions 

 necessary to its use. 



Muck ameliorates the state of the ground by the chemical action 

 induced by its own decomposition, and also by changing the texture 

 of the soil, rendering it looser and more sensible to other helpful 

 influences. The material also serves to convey to land various manu- 

 rial substances which could not be saved or distributed to advantage 

 in any other way. The first class of benefits may be derived from 

 the application of muck alone; the latter class are due to its judi- 

 cious use in composts. 



The action of muck is worthy of study. Many have failed to 

 obtain any advantage from it, and have condemned it as practically 

 worthless, simply for M'ant of understanding its function in the soil 

 and the rules that should govern its application. When we place the 

 decomposing matter in the ground, subject to moisture, to the perme- 

 ation of warmth, and to the agency of the air, it decom])oses still 

 more, and evolves carbonic acid. This dissolves in, or rather is absor- 

 bed by water. A solution of carbonic acid acts much more rapidly 

 than water alone upon the minerals existing in the soil, such com- 

 pounds of potash, alumina, silex, and the like ; consequently a greater 

 supply of these inorganic constituents of plant food are dissolved and 

 made available for crops. The action in this case is substantially the 



