ONIONS ON MUCK SOIL 



65 



It will take up large quantities, ranging from eighty or ninety per 

 cent to two or three hundred per cent, according to the proportion 

 of humus present. The term humus should not be thought of as a 

 definite compound. Rather it is a very complex mixture of organic 

 products of decay. It frequently happens that the surface layer 

 of soil is a good quality of muck, but that the subsoil is peaty; and 

 to that extent that this condition exists, the value of the soil for 

 intensive tillage purposes is reduced. Such land differs from the 

 upland soil in that under proper conditions the peat will decay and 

 change to muck. 



The general character of organic swamp land is usually indicated 

 by the type of native vegetation. Land which bears little or no 

 vegetation or only that of a shrubby, stunted character can not be 

 expected to be productive for a good many years after cultivation. 

 On the other hand, if a hea\'y growth of trees and herbaceous plants 

 is produced, this is very good evidence that the land is capable of 

 producing tilled crops. The best kind of timber is a thrifty growth 

 of elm, black ash, and soft maple. Land which bears almost ex- 

 clusively cedar has been generally considered as of very inferior 

 productive capacity. However, a few cedars and an occasional 

 tamarack seem not to indicate any unproductive quality, if they are 

 associated with the other species. Whatever the character of the 

 land, it is generally best to farm it to more gross feeding crops like 

 potatoes, hay, or corn for the first one to four or five years, until it 

 becomes settled and active decay processes have been set up. By 

 many growers, potatoes are considered to be the best preparatory 

 crop for onions, which should not be put on the land until one is 

 assured that its moisture relations are good. 



In the matter of water supply, muck areas may be divided into 

 two classes : First, those frequently known as sheet muck, where 

 the material spreads over large areas and is relatively shallow, rang- 

 ing from two to four or five feet in depth on the average. These 

 have usually been formed during a previous lake condition of the 

 area, and after clearing they are likely to have a deficient moisture 

 supply during the late summer, and thereby to greatly reduce crop 

 yields. The other class of muck lands generally occur in small areas, 

 are relatively deep, and are likely to have their water-table main- 

 tained by springs around the margin of the area or in its interior.- 

 Such areas are to that extent insured against any lack of water, 

 even tho drained for all ordinary operations. Muck of the usual 



