Evening star., 1915-06-06
away from it and carry off much of

away from it and carry off much of
the fertilizing value.
Pile layer of manure a foot or so
deep On the ground. and on top of this
place layer of sods. lawn clippings,
weeds cut or pulled from the garden
and any other vegetable material.
nure and a second layer of the vege-
| table matter, repeating the process to
the extent of the available material.
If the weather is dry turn the hose on
| until it is thoroughly soaked, but not
until the water drains off. Then let 1t
alone until the material begins to
decay.
From time to time turn the whole
heap over with a manure fork, mixing
the material thoroughly. Add to 1t any
fertilizing material, as well as lawn
clippings weeds, sods. leaves. etc. In
water into the drains. make the com
post heap the depository for the waste
water. One advantage of compost
heap is that it affords a means of con-
verting every kind of garbage and
refuse into invaluable fertilizer.
To keep the heap from becoming too
dry SOW it over with cowpeas. oats.
soy beans. clover or other green crop.
and as soon as the growth is eight or
ten inches high fork it into the heap.
Never SOW rye on compost heap. now
ever. as it will pump the moisture out
until the inside of the pile is absolutely
dry and punky.
Such heap must stand year be-
fore it is really usable as fertilizer-
that is. before it becomes sufficiently
decayed to yield it's full fertilizing
value. 1t may, however, be used with
good results after it has lain for two
or three months, provided it has been
kept well dampened and has been
forked over and mixed at frequent in
tervals.
A heap of we'll rotted compost year
old should be mellow, fine and black,
and should be sufficiently moist to
make ball when squeezed in the hand.
1t should not be wet, however; neither
should the material emit any offensive
odor whatever. Once started. a COM
post heap may be maintained year
after year by the addition from time to
time of the Notwithstanding. veg
etable matter, etc.-of which 1T was
originally made.
Small heaps containing not more than
a wagon load of compost may be made
with manure. sods, soil, lawn clippings.
leaves, etc, with the addition of fifty
pounds of bone meal. fifty pounds OF
ground phosphate rock, fifty pounds of
hydrated lime and ten pounds of nj
trate of soda. This process makes a
compost exceedingly rich in fertilizing
elements, but too expensive for ordi-
nary garden use. AS in the preceding
case, such a heap should be allowed to
decay and 'ripen" for a year before
it is used, if the very best results are
desired.
Compost made by either of these
methods will increase soil fertility and
productiveness as nothing else can do.
Used on any kind of crop it will in
crease production several hundred per
cent Melons grown in hills enriched
with compost of this kind will bear
amazingly. and the fruit-canta loupes,
watermelons or casabas-will be far
finer than if ordinary manure or COM
mercial fertilizers are used. The same
is true of sugar corn-compost being
too tedious to make to be used largely
with field corn-beans, particularly
limas, beets, pumpkins or any kind of
garden crop except trunips, rutabagas,
radishes or lettuce.
Used in the flower garden it imme-
diately stimulates growth and brings
bigger and more highly colored blooms.
For roses it has no equal, and all big
rose growers use compost the base
of which is manure from COW barns.
In short, with the exceptions noted.
well made compost is without doubt the
most valuable fertilizer at the gar
deners command, as it adds humus to
the soil while also increasing the sup
ply of actual, readily available plant
food.