IN THE EVERGLADES 39 



careful to mix thoroughly, break up all lumps and moisten each 

 layer, and, better yet, add to each layer a liberal sprinkling of 

 either ground castor pomace or cottonseed meal you will have 

 an ideal compost heap. It should not be used until the greatest 

 heat has passed away, and a cover of earth or muck in a dry pul- 

 verized state should be added at the final or last forking-over. 

 Provision must be made to prevent leaching in wet weather or 

 great loss will result. 



Well decomposed stable manure seems to have a value not 

 accounted for by analysis, in that it introduces a necessary ferment 

 congenial to plant growth. Among all manures, that from horses, 

 when composted, seems to be the most valuable for starting 

 plants on ; especially is this so if the land is new, as, for instance, 

 in the Everglade region, or of a swampy nature. The faeces of 

 the horse's manure are covered with a yellow or white film which 

 seems to contain and introduce germs that start nitrification in 

 the soil and decomposition in the manure pile or compost heap. 



It is on this account that when only a small handful of compost 

 is used under a newly set plant the seed spores of nitrification are 

 simultaneously introduced and for this reason are of much more 

 benefit than the mere fertilizing qualities contained. However, it 

 must be remembered that in this handful of compost are also 

 present, in a very finely prepared form, the ingredients of the 

 elements necessary for plant life, which are absorbed by the 

 tender rootlets at once, similar to a baby food. 



Thus the young plant newly set is not only supplied with a 

 nourishing food to start with, but also is supplied with a working 

 force of useful bacteria to co-operate and work for the plant 

 through its entire life by freeing ammonia and other ingredients 

 for its consumption. The very moisture in a well prepared com- 

 post is a factor upon which little stress is laid ordinarily by the 

 chemist, but like other secrets, seems to have slipped past his 

 magic wand. The humus supplied through stable manure forms 

 a body, in which also ingredients acceptable and congenial to all 

 plant growth are stored. Humus also holds in store carbonic 



