- Humus and O.R. Composting 
The first necessity for the successful cultivation of any plot 
is a fertile soil, and this means a soil which contains plenty 
of humus. What is humus ? It is the name given to a natural 
substance, dark brown to black in colour, made by the decay 
of animal and vegetable matter. It possesses many remark- 
able qualities. It acts like a sponge inthe soil, so that plant 
foods are easily taken up by the roots instead of being washed 
out in the drainage water. It aerates and opens heavy soils _ 
both by its own physical property and by the fact that the 
éarthworm population increases with the humus content of the 
soil. Paradoxically, in light soil it acts as a kindof cement 
which holds together the soil particles. It darkens the soil 
and dark soil is warmer, because it absorbs more of the sun's 
rays. Lastly, humus is alive, for it teems with beneficial 
micro-organisms which enable the roots to transfer food from 
the soil to the plants. | | : 
The. best form of humus is that obtainable from the 
compost heap or bin which should be kept going in every 
garden. Any gardener who does not make compost because 
he ‘‘cannot be bothered’’ or ‘‘cannot obtain animal manures 
is wasting valuable material. With the aid of Q.R. herbal | 
activator first quality compost can be made merely by saving 
all the wastes which. come from any garden or kitchen. It 
is surprising how much can be accumulated if everything is 
saved and the kitchen wastes are particularly valuable. 7 
Proceed as follows to get the best results. 
First of all set aside a small corner of 
your yard as a permanent compost site. 
Then erect one or more bins roughly 3 feet 
or 4 feet square, in which the compost. 
heaps can be made, This will ensure that 
the compost decomposes quickly and 
thoroughly. It is also tidier. 
All you have to do now is to save all the wastes, which 
should include lawn mowings, potato and tomato vines, all 
crop residues, leaves, hedge clippings, seaweed, dead flowers, 
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