FERMENTATION OF THE COMPOST 211 



acter, and has not only added much to its natural fertility, 

 but it has developed this to a remarkable extent. 



In making composts, the bulk of the materials are inert 

 and may not readily decay. It is therefore necessary to 

 add to the mass something which may act as a ferment, and 

 by which the necessary chemical action to effect decomposi- 

 tion may be started. 



Linle is usually employed for this purpose; but at times 

 fermenting manure is used; and sometimes both manure and 

 lime are employed. The process is as follows. The various 

 materials, some wet and some dry but the bulk of them are 

 wet, so that the dry substance may be saturated with mois- 

 ture, and chiefly the whole are wet are placed in layers 

 of several inches thick and roughly mixed together. The 

 lime or the manure, is mixed in layers through the mass; or 

 at times the mixture is more perfectly made; and the heap 

 is built up compactly, and well trodden, into a square flat 

 form; having the top somewhat shallow to catch and retain 

 the rain water. 



Fermentation soon begins and spreads through the mass. 

 The organic matter decays with more or less rapidity, and 

 the earthy matter or the peat in the heap, absorbs 

 any ammonia that may be formed and holds it firmly; 

 or the sulphuric acid that may be liberated in the 

 decomposition will combine with it and form a stable 

 compound. When the heat has spread through the 

 whole mass, the heap is turned and again mixed, by begin- 

 ning at one end and forking or shoveling it over and form- 

 ing a new heap similar to the original one. The exposure 

 to the air and the fresh mingling of the substances, soon 

 produce a new fermentation and heat by which the mass is 

 still more decomposed, and the nitrification made more com- 

 plete. In a few months and sooner in the summer the 

 compost becomes a homogeneous mass, dark in color and 

 without any appearance of the raw materials of it by which 

 they could be recognized. It is now manure, and in pro- 

 portion to the character of the materials that have been used, 

 it is equal to, or better in quality, than ordinary farm manure. 



