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a high state of fertility, as the substances composing it decay. When 

 plowed into the soils, it likewise forms a capital absorbent ; and the 

 benefits to the land are gradual, particularly when apphed lo a cal- 

 careous or porous soil. It prevents the liquid manures, if any are 

 made use of, from sinking too deep. The farmer must not, however, 

 expect rapid results after an application of muck, unless he uses arti- 

 ficial means to expedite its effects, it naturally decays very slowly. 

 I would recommend several modes of preparing it for agricultural 

 purposes. 



1. After it is taken from the swamps, if jcequired for use the same 

 season, it should be piled about four feet high, and then allowed to 

 drain off its surplus water, about one third its weight, — after which it 

 may be mixed with one quarter of its weight of barn-yard manure. 

 Heat is immediately generated by the manure, and the whole soon 

 becomes more valuable for agricultural purposes, than an equal quan- 

 tity of farm-yard manure. 



2. The hquid may be taken from the farm-yard, and sprinkled 

 copiously over a heap of partially dried muck. It will cause heat 

 and fermentation, and thus soon prepare a heap of fine fertiliang 

 manure, fit for any crop ; or the muck maybe placed in the barn-yard, 

 and its effect will be to prevent the escape of carbonic acid gas, and 

 other enriching matters, which hourly evaporate from the heap, and 

 are lost to the farmer. 



3. Farmers living on the sea shore may. prepare an exceedingly 

 valuable manure, containing all the necessary saline substances re 

 quired by growing crops, simply by applying say one cart load of sea- 

 weed to four cart loads of muck. The sea-weed will decay most 

 rapidly, and thus cause the whole mass to become a very great 

 fertilizer, particularly to a potato crop. 



4. Unslacked lime, say 1 bushel to 10 bushels of muck, will cause 

 almost spontaneous fermentation, and in a very short time convert 

 the mass into a uniform manure, admirable as atop dressing for wheat 

 or grass. In England, rape dust has been used extensively as a de- 

 composer of muck. The feruxentalion is so rapid that m six weeks 



