58 
SOIL SURVEY OF JACKSON COUNTY 
there is approximately only 675 pounds, or in two feet 1,350 
pounds in comparison with upland soils which have approxi¬ 
mately twice these amounts. Moreover, the acid condition of 
these soils renders the phosphorus less available than in a non- 
acid soil. 
The deficiency of potassium in these soils is greater than that 
of phosphorus. They contain on the average 0.3 per cent of 
this element, while good upland clay loam soils average two per 
cent, or over six times as much expressed in percentage. When 
the greater weight of the upland soils is taken into account it 
will be found that they contain in the upper two feet 120,000 
pounds per acre, while the peat soils contain but 3,000 pounds. 
A large amount of organic matter in these soils gives them 
an extraordinary amount of nitrogen. They average 2.5 per 
cent of this element, while the upland silt loam soils of this 
region contain but about 0.12 per cent and this only in the 
surface eight inches—the amount in deeper layers being much 
less. 
As a result of this difference in the chemical composition the 
peat soils are very unbalanced. Their rational treatment re¬ 
quires the use of fertilizers containing especially the elements 
phosphorus and potassium. These elements are contained in 
relatively small amounts in barnyard manure and good applica¬ 
tions of manure will secure good yields of crops on peat soils, 
but manure contains large amounts of nitrogen not needed by 
the peat, so that when a farm includes upland soils as well as 
peat, the manure should be used on the upland soils and com¬ 
mercial fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium used 
on the peat land. 
On the deeper peats which are in a very raw and acid condi¬ 
tion the use of lime in some form in addition to the commer¬ 
cial fertilizers will be found profitable. Occasionally a marsh 
is found on which on account of coldness and high acidity at 
first nitrification or the chemical change by which the nitro¬ 
gen in the organic matter becomes available to crops does not 
take place readily and the use of a light application of com¬ 
posted stable manure to inoculate the soil with the proper organ¬ 
isms is very helpful. 
Crops and system of farming on marsh lands .—Since the 
growth of corn and potatoes to which these marsh lands would 
