Is muck dirt

Answer 1

I grew up on a "muck farm" in Ohio (that's what it's called) near Hartville and we worked it by hand. Muck is a very rich, dark (black, or almost black) soil that actually releases steam in the summer heat. It has a distinct smell, which is a little loam-y. It's not as dry as peat, and is easy to turn (although it holds moisture well, so after a rain, it is harder to plow). When you are planting or weeding in the summer, you can actually see the steam rise from it. You come out of the fields covered in black dirt that clings to your pores (like a coal miner, actually), and sticks to your skin. We have pictures of us as teenagers after working in the fields, and all you can see are our eyes and smiles...the rest is black. Muck is actually very nutrient rich (usually it's found near small creeks or springs, so muck may have been swamp or wetlands at one point, with its lush vegetation turned to compost). Muck is famous for being able to grow almost anything the climate will allow (especially farm crops: vegetables and fruits). Even cuttings or seeds you "throw away" will easily grow, and so you have to be careful where you dump those things: a large patch of rhubarb or pumpkins will easily sprout & "take off" if it hits that fertile ground. It's a truly beautiful sight to see rows of light spring- green colored lettuce against the black soil. Visitors to the area ALWAYS comment on the dark black color of the soil (and often ask us what we "add" to the soil to make it that color).