THE COMPOST HEAP.
Compost is mixed and rotted vegetable matter, particularly manure and litter. The mixture of bulky fertilising materials, known as compost.' while of little importance to the general farmer, plays an important part in garden practices. Many of the gardan crops must be made in a very short time, or are of delicate feeding habits. Their food, therefore, must be easily assimilable. It is guod'practice to pile all coarsa manures, eods.weeds.or any rubbish availble for the purpose, in big, flat heaps, to ferment, and rot before being applied to the garden soil. If desired, chemical manures, such a s spuerphosphate, bone-dust, kainit, or muriate of potash, may be added to make the compoGt the richer. By spading or forking the heaps well a few times at reasonable intervals, a homogeneous mass is easily obtained, which can be applied in great liberality without fear, or more sparingly, in accordance with the needs of the particular crop. Of equal importance ia the compost heap, which gives soil for greenhouse benches, hot bed?, and colJ frames. This compost is principally made of Eods shaved off a rich pasture or meadow and piled in alternata layers with stable manure, more of the latter being used for forcing succulent crops, and less in growing plants which should be short and stocky, like tomato or cabbage plants. Garden litter may be added to the pile, aa leaves and trimmings. All compost heaps, during dry weather. n°sd frequent and thorough moistening with water, or, bettar, with liquid manure. Turn several times during the year, to ensure tUorough rotting of the materials. If it is feared that the heap ia infected with wire-v.orms or other insects, make a few holes into the centre of tbe heap and pour into each an eggcupful of carbon bisulphide, immediately closing the hole, when the fumes will permeate the heap and destroy all animal life. The fumes are bighiy in flammable.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/KCC19140422.2.41
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 662, 22 April 1914, Page 7
Word count
Tapeke kupu
321THE COMPOST HEAP. King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 662, 22 April 1914, Page 7
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Waitomo Investments is the copyright owner for the King Country Chronicle. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Waitomo Investments. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.