Manures for the Garden. — 37 



as wide and long as may be required. Let it come to a heat, 

 and fork the mass over from time to time until it is in the 

 desired condition. It takes time and labor, adding to the origi- 

 nal cost, and in deciding on the price he can afford to pay for 

 raw manure originally, the gardener will have to take this feature 

 in consideration. 



These heaps may be made during autumn and early winter 

 right on the arable land, and the material will generally be ready 

 to be spread upon the soil where wanted, when the time for 

 planting it with spring crops has arrived. It is absolutely neces- 

 sary that these heaps be of considerable depth, not less than four 

 feet, in order to prevent the rain-water from leaching clear 

 through, and washing away valuable food elements. 



Composting Stable Manure. 



It will be all the better if compost heaps of this kind can be 

 made under shelter, and especially if liquids from the barnyard, 

 or soapsuds from the wash house, or similar liquid wastes can 

 be occasionally poured upon them. The compost heap, while 

 in process of construction, is the most appropriate dumping place 

 for vegetable rubbish of all sorts, the carcasses of animals (larger 

 ones cut in pieces), house and kitchen slops, and other waste 

 materials. Refuse matter of this kind often adds greatly to the 

 value and effectiveness of the compost. 



What we should avoid most scrupulously, however, is the 

 addition of any material containing live weed seeds, or of vege- 

 table rubbish infected with plant diseases. The best way, indeed 

 the only safe way of purifying old tomato and potato stalks, 

 celery tops, etc., that had once been attacked, however slightly, 

 by blights or other diseases, is to burn them to ashes, and this 

 cannot be done too soon for the safety of succeeding crops. 

 Even manure from animals fed on blighted or scabby vegetation, 

 tubers, and the like, should be rejected for gardening purposes. 



In many of our inland villages and cities quantities of good 

 manure from livery stables, from the premises of suburban 



