10 VEGETABLE GROWING. 



COMPOST. 



It has long been known that decomposing vegetable 

 or animal matter causes plants to grow luxuriantly ; 

 but, at the same time, the plants are liable to be un- 

 fruitful. This is due to an over-abundance of nitrogen- 

 ous matter. If, to this decomposing organic matter, 

 potash and phosphoric acid be added to make a com- 

 plete fertilizer, plants do not become "over grown." 

 The amount of potash and phosphoric acid to be 

 added is learned by experience. Such a mixture is 

 called a compost. The term is often applied to a de- 

 composing heap of organic matter, and also applied to 

 such heaps when land plaster has been added ; but we 

 shall restrict the term compost to decomposed organic 

 matter, to which enough commercial fertilizer elements 

 have been added to make a complete fertilizer. 



On any farm, garden or other places where lines of 

 horticulture or agriculture are carried on, a good deal 

 of coarse and refuse material can be collected without 

 making a special effort. All offal, as vegetable re- 

 fuse, kitchen slops, wash-water or soap suds, the dung 

 of domestic animals, bits of wood, in fact, anything 

 of animal or vegetable origin may be used in this way. 

 The best way to dispose of an animal that has died on 

 the farm is to use it in the compost heap. When any 

 odor is escaping from the compost heap or bin, we may 

 be sure that valuable fertilizer is escaping 5 this may 

 be arrested by mixiug with the compost two or three 

 bushels of land plaster to a cart-load of material. If 

 land plaster is not at hand, two or three inches of 

 moist dirt thrown over the pile will arrest the escap- 

 ing nitrogen. The decomposition of material may be 

 hastened by adding night soil or undecomposed ma- 



