~2 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9OI. 



England need the addition of large amounts of organic matter 

 and these impure peats have been thus used for generations 

 under the general name of ''muck.'' While the use of the word 

 in this sense is provincial and perhaps not to be encouraged, it 

 will be so used here for lack of a better term. Bv "peat" 1 ' is gen- 

 erally understood a somewhat similar product in which the 

 decomposition has not advanced so far. Such material is usually 

 brownish in color and when dry has considerable fuel value. 



These peaty soils or mucks are the results of the partial decay 

 of vegetable materials. They are found in swampy places filled 

 with stagnant water. The successive growth of sphagnum and 

 other water-loving mosses, as well as the forest leaves falling into 

 the water, are changed by decay into the black earths and impure 

 peats. Mucks thus formed contain appreciable amounts of 

 insoluble nitrogen and usually but little mineral matters, unless 

 sand, clay or silt has been washed into them during their forma- 

 tion. Mucks owe their peculiar properties to this decomposed 

 vegetable matter, which constitutes the humus of the agricultural 

 chemist. 



ANALYSIS OF MUCKS. 



During the past few years the Station has examined for cor- 

 respondents a number of samples of these materials from differ- 

 ent parts of the State. 



The following table shows the pounds of water contained in 

 mucks as they are taken from the bogs, and the varying 

 weights of ash, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and 

 potash contained in ico pounds of the water-free (perfectly dry) 

 mucks : 



