| "se , i a r ~ a a a Senior Agricultural Thesis on UTHE ANALYSIS AND USES OF MUCK." by COM, _ & H, L. Mills, Class of '98, Michigan Agricultural College, Acriculturel College, Hich. THESIS Tiik ANALYSIS AND USES OF MUCK, -O~ Seattered over the country, in ::ore or less exten- sive tracts, are found accumulations of vegetable matter, known either as muck or peat. These deposits occur in loca- tions where organic matter has been undergoing a slow decay for an indefinite length of time. In order that the decay may be slov, it is necessary for the deposits to be partly or entirely covered with water. If the organic matter wore exposed to the air complete decomposition would take plece, and no muck youlc be deposited. Inasmuch as the water is found in low places the deposits take place there as rell as along the banks of rivers and lakes. The materials making up these deposits may be anv kind of plants, but in northern countries they are composed largcl- of the leaves of trces and various aquatic plants. In certain places bog moss makes up a considerable portion of the mick. The veretation of one year's frowth, being preserved from tire anc decomposition by the water, falls to the rround end is buried underneath that of the following season. This process, which has been going on for ages, accounts for thc great depth at which the deposits are sometimes found. The mick consists largely of organic matter which is composed of oxyfen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon. These 102908 aq? elements arc burned at a red heat, lcaving tre ash pehind, together with a variable amount of sand and clay which has been wasned in from higher regions surrounding the swam. The amount of this sand and clay depends on whether the sur- face of the hills near the swamp is readily washed away or not, and also on the amount carried by the winds. Of the elements making up the organic matter carbon is ° the most abundant. In the form of carbon dioxide this ele- ment constitutes the chief food of growing plants. The ele- ment, however, that makes the mick of value is nitrogen, which is found in relatively large amounts. The nitrogen exists largely in the incrt form, and nceds to be changed to nitrates before available for plant food. After burning away the organic matter t»c ash is left tocether with a quantity of sand and olay. Of the constit-— uents makirg up this material the most valueble are the line, potash and phosyhorie acid which it contains. Two varieties of muck have been recognized, which differ irom each other in their pronverties. One is found at the surface, and is called "powdery mick", from the fact that it crumbles to dust when cried. It is of a dark color, and has no acid properties. The other variety is found underrecth the povdery muck, and has a cheesy nature. It is usually quite acid, and will not crumble when dried, but forms a hard mass resembling coal. The result obtained from several analyses seems to indi- cate that the cheesy muck contains a larger proportion of organic matter than the other, but, on the other hand, it is defleLent in such ininerals &6 retash, Liticg tne phesphoric eel It, however, sontains iwre nitrogen, as there is more organic acid presert v vith whieh the nitroven may combine. The exoess of mineral matter found in the surface muck over that rounéc in the muck below is undoubtedly due to tro reasons. First, that the plants growing at the surface send Gown their roots and bring up the potash, lime and phosphoric acid. Second, that the oxidation of organic matter leaves th mineral matter in relative cxcess. These processes, which nave been going on ever ginee the muck began to be deposited, have resulted in robbing the lower layers of muck of a part of their mineral matter, and depositing it at the surface. As the nitrogen is in the inert state, being combined vith orranic matter, it is not taken up by the roots and, conse- quently, remains below. There are three princival vays in which mick can be mace useful: 1. By craining the swamp the muck becomes of value right where it was coposited, and in this way ve g2t some of the most protuctive land under cultivation. Draining alone is often of much value, but the best results are obtained py the addition of lime and hard rood ashes. These materials supply the mineral matter in which most mick soils are deficient. If the mick is acid the lime being alKaline will destroy this property, and render the soil fit for the growth of plants. The drainage water, having a chance to run away, will also have a tendency to remove the acid, The surplus vater, being removed, decomposition will take place more freely and greatc:: quantities of carbon dioxide will be forméd tofrether with the liberation of ammonia. 2. \Lkuck is also used as a fertilizer, and in one resrpes is richer than barn-vard manure. This is due to the large amount of combined nitrogen that it contains. Care should be taken to get only the part that is in the powdery form, for if the cneesy muck is applied to the land it will dry up into chunks and interfere with the cultivation of the soil. The cheesy muck can be prepared for use by allowing the frost to work on it during the winter. The effect of the frost can be readily seen by taking two thin slices of muck and placins therz on two plates. One plate is allowed to ary as soon as it will, while the other is male wet and allowed to freeze. After this plate of wueck has frozen and thawed out severel times, it is allowed to dry wo also. Both plates are exarminec and the one that was allowed to dry without freezing has be- come nearly as hard as coal, while the other is soft and friable. If the mick is coarse, and it is desirable to pre- pare it quickly for plant food, it may be composted with line, ashes and barn—-yard manure. The lime will aid in the process of nitrification, and the manure will supply the niter plants that are necessary in the production of nitrates. 3. Peat has a certain value as fuel, but in this countr: it is unable to compete with coal. It is probable that peat has played an important part in the formation of coal. Our present peat beds are those thet have been formed in corn- paratively recent times, while those formed in earlicr times have been changed to coal by pressure and heat. In order to get an idea of the composition of imick soils I collected & numbvcr and enalyzed them. An effort was mace +o secure a variety of samples, in order that they might coripare?., The samples in some cases were taken at the face and also at a deptn of eighteen inches. In other the surface soil alove was obtained. The sarples were and pulverized in order to fret a fair sample of each. qs” Ve. one aried In all cases the air—dried muck was taken as the basis for cor puting the per cent of each constituent. Results of Analyses of Huck. The nitrogen of armonia is included in the organic matic: —-O— Sample No, l was taken from a swamp, at a depth of eighnt- een inches. The growth is mostly tamarack, asn and coarse maarch-prass. It anvears to be deficient onliv in phosphoric acid. It is fairly wei supplied with line and potash, while the supoly of nitrozen is abunJant. Sand and silicates 2.170 Alumina ~ 230 Oxide of iron ~500 Limc 4.6530 Magnesia 025 Potash oA Sulphuric acid 1.126 Phos>*.orisc acid 083 Carbonio acid 1.125 Organic matter anc water 86.610 Total 98.511 Arrronia 2.040 iho. 2 was taken from the surface cirectliv over No. 1. It tontains more lime, rotash and phosphoric acid, but less organic mattcr. ; , ji A ; me ~~ ae calinatei te ~~ te. - ; Fe . aos P F ; a ae ae a o | $e ee ~ =f ~~ UN MNCL NA 3 1293 03169 7422 “THI! MN | VU 1293 03169 7422 | i Fi } ~ = | i 4 '