THE COMPOST HEAP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16487, 28 February 1914, Page 5

THE COMPOST HEAP.

The compost heap is a most valuable adjunct to the farm, and it is a very t great pity that it is not more frequently to be found. A Reap or pit can be made very eco-. nomically, and is of special value in that it utilises all sorts of vegetable and animal refuse, which would otherwise be wasted, and converts it into, a valuable manure, rich in vegetable matter and eminently suited for soils low in humus or subject to. droughty conditions. ' ■ '

The principle .of the compost heap is the fermentation of easily decomposed vegetable material in the presence of earth and lime. "It is'not only substances like peat and straw, which form the usual basis of compost heaps, thas are thus decomposable, hut almost every kind of organic substance, both of vegetable and animal origin, can be thus composted. Dead leaves, bush scrapings,’ sawdust,' weeds, tops and stalks of vegetables, as well as bone and animal refuse, can be treated in this manner. In the case of animal refuse the operation is much slower, and substances like bones should be first crushed. It,is also important to be sure that animal refuse so treated is not derived from a diseased source, ■! .

The blesit way of making and maintaining the compost heap will depend largely upon local surroundings. ' As-a general method of procedure the following will be found satisfactory:—Make a heap with alternate layers of earth, refuse and lime. Under the term refuse is included all the re- v fuse material or vegetable material, mentioned above. Cover the whole with a layer of earth. When a sufficientquantity of refuse is again collected; 5 place it on-top of the heap and cover with a layer of lime, and lastly of earth, until the heap is 3ft to 4ft high. The heap should be kept moist, and for this purpose all refuse water from the house, slops, urine, etc., should be added. The heap may be conveniently watered by making a hole into the ifi° terior and pouring the liquid in. The covering with earth has the object of absorbing any ammonia which is evolved in the process of fermentation and by the action of the lime. 'When the heap has been prepared it must be left to itself to ferment for'.a greater or time. _ Probably a few months will be sufficient unless very ' refractory substances, such as bone, etc., are present. In a few months’ time it should be well forked over and another layer of lime and finally of earth should be added. In the course of another month or two it should be ready for use, and you will have provided yourself at a very slight cost with an excellent manure rich in humus, and will have utilised for the purpose a great amount of refuse material which would otherwise be lost or burnt. When refuse material is burnt, the ashes, though still possessing mammal value on account of the . lime and potash and phosphates they contain, are of incomparably lees value than the original substances out • of which they are derived, owing to the absence of humus material and of nitrogen, which have been lost in the process of burning.