THE MANURE PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21532, 2 January 1932, Page 3

THE MANURE PROBLEM

Farmers require every atom of the manure their stock produce for their own land. This need not w r orry the owner of a small garden. There was always a tendency to over-rate the value of animal manures. Dressings are provided as much for soil improvement as for the direct provision of food for plants. Heavy soils are manured to make them lighter, warmer, and more porous. Light soils are manured to help in the retention of moisture. Every day is thrown away material equal ip value to ordinary stable manure. Kitchen refuse, such as the leaves of cabbage, carrot, celery, and other vegetables must be saved instead of going to the dust bin. But the waste applies not only to vegetable refuse. Other organic matter of great value, from a garden point of view, goes into the fire. Fish remains, small bones, waste fat are examples. If all this kitchen refuse were merely flung into a heap, retribution would quickly visit the storer in the form of sipells, flies, wandering cats, protests from neighbours, and, probably, a visit from the sanitary inspector. THE ROT PIT. , To avoid all this trouble make a compost heap in a secluded part of the garden. The construction is simple, and the results effective. First of all, dig out a hole, a foot in depth, and four or five feet square (the area will depend upon the amount 'of refuse for disposal). Carefully bank the soil removed from the hole around the sides, for this will be wanted later on. The next step is to place the household refuse, to which may be added other soft vegetable refuse from the garden, in the hole, tread it down firmly, and, when a thickness of four inches has been reached, it must be covered with a layer of soil removed from the side. This covering may be an inch in thickness. The soil lajyer then receives a' good dressing of powdered lime, a supply of which should be kept in readiness. Then begin again, forming another layer of refuse, then soil and lime as before. Refuse stored fn this way gives off no evil smell, and the lime will ward off prowling cats or dogs. When the heap mounts above the surface of the soil, earth is banked round the sides, and beaten firm with a spado. The sides of the heap should also be kept well dusted with lime. Within a short time the refuse at the bottom will bo thoroughly rotted and ready for digging into the soil.—C. IL, in Amateur Gardening.