MANURIAL, VALUK OF ASHES, '' MUCKS, ETC. JJ 



what into disrepute, — and while in certain localities, near cities, 

 it may be more profitable to expend labor in hauling stable 

 manure than in building compost heaps — it is true of a State of 

 small proprietors, for whose labor there is at times no profitable 

 outgo, that "the composting of muck and peat with stable and 

 barnyard manures is surely destined to become one of the most 

 important items in farm management." 



Some mucks ferment of themselves when thrown into heaps 

 and such kinds serve well as manures without weathering, fer- 

 mentation or any kind of preparation. But the kinds most com- 

 mon in Maine are well nigh useless as manures unless they have 

 been rotted or fermented. In view of these differences it is not 

 strange that farmers frequently deem mere exposure of muck 

 to the air to be a sufficient preparation of this material. While 

 this is the case with some mucks, the safest and surest way of 

 obtaining good results with muck is to ferment artificially in the 

 compost heap. 



Experience teaches that in many situations, a large proportion 

 of the useful ingredients of dung and urine can be saved by com- 

 posting with muck. It is equally certain through such compost- 

 ing the unavailable plant food of the muck is made available. 

 The feiments are present in such amounts in farm manures that 

 left to themselves they suffer by the fermentation, and most 

 mucks are so deficient in ferments that bv themselves the fer- 

 mentation necessary to render their inert organic matter avail- 

 able will not take place. 



In the preparation of muck composts, dung or fish are the 

 materials commonly used to excite fermentation. Most farmers 

 prefer to make compost in heaps. A common plan is to lay 

 down a bed of muck six or eight feet wide and a foot or so thick 

 and cover it with a layer of dung of somewhat less thickness, 

 followed by another layer of muck and so on. Different farmers 

 use very different proportions of muck. The ordinary practice 

 seems to vary from I to 5 parts of muck to 1 part of dung. Rich 

 dung from stall-fed cattle will ferment more muck than that 

 from animals less highly fed. The practical rule is to use no 

 more muck than can be thoroughly fermented bv the manure. 

 In the case of sour muck the addition of small amounts of lime 

 or wood ashes will correct the aciditv and hasten fermentation. 



