1858 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
237 
Composts—Muck and Ashes. 
A few weeks since we put the question: “Got any 
ashes 1” to our readers, and suggested some of the 
benefits following their use as a direct application to 
the soil. Now, if they “ have any muck,” we would 
remind them of one of the forms of compost into which 
it may profitably enter. We take up this variety of 
muck compost, first, rather than that of muck and 
barn manure or other material, as on the whole, more 
seasonable at present. 
Muck, we remarked, only needs further decompo¬ 
sition by fermentation to convert it into a valuable ma¬ 
nure, equal, according to Dana, to cow dung. Any 
alkali will do this, and ashes answer well the purpose 
The Editor of the New-England Farmer , Mr. Brown, 
in his valuable essay on swamp muck for the Patent 
Office Report, says : “Next to a compost of muck and 
barn-manures, a mixture of muck and ashes is the 
most common, and by experienced persons is consider¬ 
ed the most profitable. It is certainly one of the most 
convenient. * * The farmer * * where 
ashes are applied, finds his plants vigorous, of a fine 
healthy color, growing permanently throughout the 
season, producing highly perfected and abundant 
crops; so that their value to be used with muck , is 
often estimated as high as fifty cents a bushel.” 
Another writer says : “ To bring out the ammonia, 
the muck must be fei-mented, which may be effected 
by the use of alkalies. From fifteen to twenty bushels 
of ashes, or ninety pounds of potash, are required to 
a ton of peat. Such a compost will contain about the 
same amount of ammonia as cow dung. * * A 
farmer in Watertown, sells his cattle manure, and 
mixes the leached ashes from his soap and candle fac¬ 
tory with muck, one part of the former to three of 
the latter, and thus keeps his farm in a high state of 
cultivation.” 
As to the quantity of ashes required for composting 
a cord of muck, no exact rule can be given, for some 
specimens will possess greater acidity than others, from 
less perfect decomposition, the character of the vege¬ 
tation of which it is composed, or other varying causes. 
Experiment, however, will furnish a ready test of this 
question. Enough to induce fermentation is all that is 
required. Five bushels of ashes to a cord of muck, 
has been found sufficient; they should first be 
placed in layers and afterwards completely intermin¬ 
gled by shoveling over at intervals Twelve to fifteen 
loads per acre, will furnish a sufficient dressing for 
one season, though on soils lacking in vegetable mat¬ 
ter, it should be repeated for several years. 
Many experiments have' shown the value of this 
form of compost, and we scarce need farther to urge 
it upon our readers. To the many in all sections of the 
country, who can have muck for the digging on their 
own farms, and whose daily fires supply ashes in con¬ 
siderable quantity, it would seem to be a most conve¬ 
nient and profitable method of increasing the stock of 
manure, and the consequent productiveness of their 
soils. It is well, if the muck is of a particularly raw 
character, to dry it for some time before composting, 
allowing it to be exposed to the air and frost over win¬ 
ter, but with many kinds this is not essentially neces- 
sary. In conclusion we would recommend a trial of 
composts of this character, as a top dressing for dry 
grass lands, to be applied early in the fall. Finely I 
pulverized, as it should be, it will at once go to “ the 
root of the matter,” and prove no offence, either to 
grazing animals or the scythe and rake in after years. 
Wheat Growing in Western New-York. 
Messrs. Tucker —I promised to write you when I 
could write with certainty about the midge. The 
Mediterranean wheat in this neighborhood I under¬ 
stand is comparatively free of it, but the white wheat 
on all late soils is about ruined. I have heard from 
Livingston and Monroe counties, and they say the 
wheat is almost a total failure there. Ontario county 
ditto. 
Livingston county is I think one of the best, if not 
the best, wheat county in the State ; but in none of 
those counties west of us, has it entered into the hearts 
or heads of the farmers, that cattle and sheep ma¬ 
nure is the one thing needful to raise either grass or 
grain, and until they become fully converted to that, 
and also to higher feeding of their stock and making 
rich manure, their prosperity as farmers is at an end. 
Seneca county begins to move a little in the right di¬ 
rection, and as they are now drained to a considerable 
extent, they will more and more see the necessity of 
more and stronger food for the land; but I fear that 
it will be only on the earliest and best manured lands 
that we can raise white wheat, and Mediterranean 
will not stand up on land properly farmed. 
With regard to my own wheat, I think the midge 
has done me no more damage than it did two years 
ago when I had a good crop, .(you can probably refer to 
it.) My salted wheat is but little hurt with midge ; 
only the low and late heads are damaged, and the 
small spot I wrote you I manured for the first time has 
scarcely a midge in it; the spot adjoining, that was 
never manured, is nearly ruined; they were both 
salted. I give every farmer that I meet with, a chance 
to examine these two spots. I salted a strip through 
another field. I noticed it was all of three days sooner 
in ear, and of course will be less hurt by midge. My 
other fields, part of which were not so recently ma¬ 
nured, are more hurt by midge. Many passers-by who 
go over the fence into my 14 acre salted wheat, come 
out and say “ you have no midge,” but they don’t look 
at the low, later heads. Both salt and manure have 
helped that field, and the tillage in fallow was very 
good; still l won’t have a yield equal to 1856. The 
heads are fully as long, but are deficient in the sets, 
cross ways of the ear ; but even manure on some softer 
soils will not protect it from the midge. A neighbor, 
whose land is drained perfectly and who manured 
highly, but whose land is naturally a little later, (a 
few days only,) and I think rather highly manured, 
is very much hurt by the midge. 
I think it is only on gravelly or early soils, that white 
wheat can be raised in these times. Livingston county 
could do it if their land was fed as it ought to be. 
People say I have 20 acres of the best looking bar¬ 
ley ever seen. It will be the first time I ever had an 
extra crop of that grain. If it turns out large, I will 
let you hea.r of it, and also of my new plan of raising 
it. My corn and oats are also good. I don’t think 
clover or grain quite as good as last year. John 
Johnston. June 29. 
P. S. Since writing, I have examined my fartherest 
east field, and find almost all destroyed by midge. It 
is as good awheatfield as any I have got, but has been 
too hard pushed with wheat. It must have food and 
rest. Two years ago it brought a fine crop, being the 
6th since it was manured, which shows this crop was 
one too many. I will feed it without fail. 
