308 THE MANAGEMENT OF MARSH LANDS 



for com with a fertilizer attachment on the planter; on an adjoining area apply 

 400 pounds of the naixture broadcast. Drag the fertihzer in before planting. 

 Plant all the corn at the same time. Keep account of costs, determine yields 

 and compute profits. 



Other projects and experiments may be planned on suitable plots to com- 

 pare, (a) spring plowing with fall plowing; (h) plowing under barnyard 

 manure with the application of manure as a top dressing and disked m before 

 planting; (c) plowing of peat with just disking; (d) the growth and yield of 

 a crop on well-rolled plot with that on unrolled plot. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Distinguish between marsh and swamp lands. 



2. Describe in general marsh and swamp soils. 



3. Can any good be said of muck and peat soils? 



4. TeU of the relative value of muck and peat soils for farmiag. 



5. What are the important problems in the development and farming of marsh 



and swamp lands? How may these problems be met^ 



6. What is a common mistake made by marsh-land owners? 



7. Discuss in general the drainage of marsh and_ swamp lands. 



8. Discuss the problem of clearing and breaking. In preparing the new 



seed bed. 



9. What are the fertilizer needs of peat and muck soils? How have these 



needs been shown? 



10. Does the same rule concerning specific fertilizer needs apply to all marsh 



and swamp soils? Explain. 



11. What choice is to be made of the different fertilizers? 



12. How may commercial fertilizers be appHed to peats and mucks? Which 



method is the best? 



13. Discuss the use of manure on peat and muck soils. 



14. Where would unleached wood ashes give best results, on an acid peat 



or on a non-acid silt loam? Why? 



15. Is it necessary to lime marsh lands? 



16. How may manure benefit marsh lands other than through the addition 



of fertiHzing elements? 



17. What can be said of the benefits to be derived in pasturing peaty soils'^ 



18. What may be the nature of unproductive spots on marsh lands? What 



remedies should be appHed? 

 19- What important problem arises in farming peat lands due to the physical 

 characteristics of the soil? Discuss remedies. 



20. Discuss the relation of frost to marsh lands. What can the farmer do to 



avoid or lessen injury due to frosts? 



21. Distinguish between intensive and extensive farming. 



22. Are all marsh and swamp lands to be developed and farmed along inten- 



sive lines? What are the facts? 



23. Name some advantages and disadvantages m. growing the following 



crops on muck and peat soils: Com, hay, potatoes, oats, hemp, cabbage, 

 mint and sugar beets. 



24. Is it necessary to practice crop rotation on marsh soils? Discuss, 



25. What types of farming may be practiced on muck and peat soils? What 



are some of the factors determining the choice to be made? 



26. Which type of farming assures greatest profits? 



27. Upon what depends, in a large measure, the future development of large 



tracts of marsh lands? 



28. If possible, describe a particular case of management of marsh land* 



29. For an outline summary of this chapter, see table of contents. 



