202 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [if«r. 2, 1908, 



The priiici])le of tlic coinpost heap is the teiiiieutatioii of easily decomposed 

 vegetable material in the pieseiice of earth and lime. It is not only substances 

 like peat and straw, which form the usual basis of compost heaps that are thus 

 decomposable, but ahnost every kind of organic su])stance, 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 best wav of ni:iking and maintaining the compost heap will depend 

 largely upon local sunoundings. 



As a general method of procedure the following will be found satisfactory: — 

 Make a heap with alternate layers of earth, refuse, and lime. Und(M- the 

 term refuse is included all the refuse material of animal or vegetable material 

 mentioned above. Cover the whole with a la\-ei- of earth. When a suffi- 

 cient quantitv of refuse is again collected, place it on top of the heap and 

 cover with a layer of lime, and lastly of earth, \\\\\\\ the heap is 3 to 4 feet 

 high. The heap should be kept moist, and ioi- this purpose all refuse water 

 from the house. slo2:)s. urine, &c.. should lie added. The hea{) may be 

 conveniently watered by making a hole into the interior 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 less time. Probably a few months will be sufficient unless very 

 refractory substances, such as bone, &c., 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 utilized 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 manurial 

 value on account of the lime and potash and phosphates they contain, are 

 of incomparably less value than the original substances out of which they 

 are derived, owing to the absence of humus niat<Tial and of nitrogen, which 

 have been lost in the process of burning. 



Instead of a heap the compost may be conveniently prepared in a pit. 

 In either case the bottom should be cemented, or so drained that the liquid 

 escaping from the mass can be collected and returned to the compost. 



It will be found advantageous to prepare a second heap while the first 

 one is ripening and being used. It will also be found that if it is desired 

 to use more concentrated fertilizers, such as superphosphate, potash, and 

 ammonium salts, these can be mixed with ach-antage with the compost 



