EXPERIMENT STATION. 81 



Nor is the composition of the fallen leaves, at least of the ash 

 constituents, at all constant. J. Nessler* found in the dry sub- 

 stance of newly fallen oak leaves, phosphoric acid and potash as. 

 follows : 



Phosphoric Acid. Potash. 



1867 .224 per cent. .347 per cent. 



1868 073 " .232 " 



and in dry beech leaves : 



1867 .360 .503 



1868 104 .282 



Similar observations were made by ZoUer and Rissmtlller. 



Composting Dead Leaves. 



Under date of jNIarch 31, 1883, Mr. George A. Ross, of Jewett- 

 City, writes as follows : 



I wish to make a compost heap of the following ; 



Dead leaves that have drifted behind a wall for the last 25 

 years and move, also the soil under these leaves, which is a dark 

 brown loam filled with small roots ; and unslaked lime. 



1st. Now how shall I compost it ? 



2d. In what proportion shall I use the lime and loam? 



3d. Shall I use the lime unslaked or slaked, at first ? 



4th. Shall I let it stand a year? 



I should be very happy to hear you make any suggestion that 

 you think will benefit me. 



To Mr. Ross was replied in substance : 



1st. Use fresh slaked lime. 



2d. One bushel of unslaked lime to 15 or 20 of the loam would 

 probably be an ample quantity. (1 bush, of lime to 10 of pure 

 swamp-muck is enough.) 



3d. Mix or interstratify well. Put down 20 bushels, two or 

 three inches deep, then sprinkle on the one bushel of lime still 

 wai-m from the slaking. Add another layer of loam and another 

 of lime, and so on until the heap is several feet high. 



4th. The heap may remain through a summer and may then be 

 mixed by cutting down and shoveling over. 



5th. If a bushel of salt (to six bushels of lime) be dissolved in 

 water and the brine be used to slake the lime, the action will be- 



* Jahresbericht Ag. Chem., XI, 360. 



