226 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



quantity that burning is stopped at once. What happens 

 is this. The material " sweats " and heats up to such an 

 extent that decomposition sets in, and by the following 

 day it can be safely dug in if buried deeply. If the material 

 is weeds and plant remains, a little lawn mowings mixed 

 with it will assist the changes. Lawn mowings alone is 

 quickly turned into manure, if only put on to a small fire. 



This method is a good one but it is not so good as 

 the following : If possible a pit should be dug, the soft 

 material shot in, after throwing plenty of water over it. 

 If a pit is not available, then make a stack of the material 

 in an out of the way part of the garden. Turn it over 

 every fortnight if time can be spared, and add basic slag 

 during the first three turnings. If it is slow to rot, spray 

 it with water. It usually takes two or three months to 

 make decent vegetable manure by this method, but when 

 it is made it is rare good stuff. 



A variation of this method is possible in some gardens, 

 but it is not often practised. It consists of watering the 

 vegetable refuse with drainings from cow sheds, stables, 

 or manure heaps, or with strong house slops. This method 

 is usually only practicable where the manure is made in 

 heaps and not in pits, and more often these valuable liquid 

 materials are wasted. The watering should be given once 

 a week, and the heap completely turned over and the 

 manure well mixed. Basic slag and sulphate of lime can 

 be scattered over the material meanwhile, and will improve 

 it. In this case good vegetable manure, with some animal 

 ingredients, can be obtained in six weeks or even less. 



Lawn mowings or long grass quickly heat up, if left in 

 a heap, especially if they are wet. They form a very good 

 vegetable manure, and can be used for most flowers. In a 

 fresh undecomposed state they may be sparingly dug in, 

 but in a rotted condition may be applied generously at the 

 rate of 5 cwt. or more per square rod. But it will be well 

 to explain what well rotted means. After a very few days 

 they are rotted into manure, but it is not safe to use them 

 at once. The mowings should be left alone in their heaps 



