hold in heat that might otherwise be lost from the sides of
unprotected heaps.

It is much easier to maintain a high core temperature when the
weather is warm. It may not be so easy to make hot compost heaps
during a northern winter. So in some parts of the country I would
not expect too much from a compost pile made from autumn cleanup.
This stack of leaves and frost-bitten garden plants may have to
await the spring thaw, then to be mixed with potent spring grass
clippings and other nitrogenous materials in order to heat up and
complete the composting process. What to do with kitchen garbage
during winter in the frozen North makes an interesting problem and
leads serious recyclers to take notice of vermicomposting. (See
Chapter 6.)

In southern regions the heap may be prevented from overheating by
making it smaller or not as tall. Chapter Nine describes in great
detail how Sir Albert Howard handled the problem of high air
temperature while making compost in India.

The Fertilizing Value of Compost

It is not possible for me to tell you how well your own homemade
compost will fertilize plants. Like home-brewed beer and home-baked
bread you can be certain that your compost may be the equal of or
superior to almost any commercially made product and certainly will
be better fertilizer than the high carbon result of municipal solid
waste composting. But first, let's consider two semi-philosophical
questions, "good for what?" and "poor as what?"