GARDEN COMPOSTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1943, Page 2

GARDEN COMPOSTING

PRECAUTIONS TO OBSERVE TO PREVENT BREEDING OF FLIES “The composting of garden . and household refuse is making considerable progress in this borough and if rightly carried out will have a beneficial influence in the production of really wholesome vegetables," said Mr T. A. Russell, Borough Sanitary Inspector, today. "A note of warning is, however, necessary. Composting does j not consist of merely throwing alw sorts of waste materials in a corner aJO allowing it to heat, up to become a incubator. “The housefly eggs will hatch out in almost any decaying matter if a suitable amount, of moisture and warmth is present,” said Mr Russell. "If the material is covered as soon as it is deposited by an inch of soil the fly . cannot penetrate to decaying material to lay her eggs, but should the eggs be deposited before the material is covered the fly will go through its life cycle in the heap and later emerge and as the fly can come up through several feet of soil the need for the immediate covering with soil becomes apparent. “As during the past two years I have found very considerable fly hatching going on in badly constructed compost. heaps to the sorrow of the householder and his neighbours." said Mr Russell. "I earnestly request the cooperation of the public in this matter and will be very pleased to advise persons who intend to go in for composting on how to cany on this laudable work without it being a menace to public health.”