744 Tii A ^'s ACTIONS OF THE American Institute. 



A light, dry and sandy soil, is much benefited by a dressing of peat 

 or muck, especially if the sand is light colored. Such a soil is sub- 

 ject to great extremes of heat and cold. It is parched in the summer 

 noons, and cools rapidly at night. If dressed with humus, this absorbs 

 water, and gives it off when the heat is great, thus cooling by evapo- 

 ration. At night the dark particles drink in moisture from the air 

 to give it out again under to-morrow's sun. All dark colored soils are 

 warmer on an average than lu-iglit surfaces. 



A stiff clay soil, if not a wet surface, will be benefited in many 

 ways by a dressing of muck. Its minerals will be more rapidly decom- 

 posed by the increased generation and dissolving action of carbonic 

 acid, and inorganic elements of plant nutrition thus rendered assimi- 

 lable in greater quantity. Not only will ammonia be held by the 

 humus as previously explained, but the soil being rendered more friable 

 and loose, the surface of soil exposed to air, moisture and sun warmth 

 is measurably increased, and in the same ratio its adaptation to meet 

 the wants of growing vegetation is increased. In addition to this, 

 the power of the clay itself to absorb and retain manurial substances 

 is enhanced, and the advantages incident to more thorough aeration, 

 disposing of water by downward drainage and darkening of the sur- 

 face are secured. 



There is another variety of land of a very different character upon 

 which muck may be used to advantage. Of such are fields that liave 

 been exhausted by cropping, until the soil has the whitish or gray 

 appearance often noticeable on high slopes where the exhaustion is 

 accelerated by the drainage of soluble organic and other matters to 

 lower lands. Such soils bake in the heat of summer, especially if 

 plowed when moist ; their an-ation is consequently diminished, the 

 penetration of the roots is hindered, and their poverty of fertilizing 

 constituents receives almost no help from the natural agencies to 

 which attention has herein been previously directed. This can be 

 obviated by the application of muck to supply humus. This will 

 make the soil darker, favor the retention of moisture, and increase the 

 availability of manures which, in instances of this character, should 

 always be used in connection with the muck. 



In these remarks muck has been considered with reference to its 

 own inherent manurial value, this value being due to the supply of 

 huinus yielded to the soil by its intermixture therewith. Substan- 

 tially the same end can be secured by green manuring with shallow- 

 rooted crops, and also, with certain incidental and additional advan- 



