Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ewj01.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!bbnccv!ewj01!thom
From: thom@ewj01.UUCP (Thom Leonard)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Our own feces in the compost heap?
Message-ID: <190@ewj01.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 13:21:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: ewj01.190
Posted: Wed Sep 18 13:21:25 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 10:14:49 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: East West Journal, Brookline, Mass.
Lines: 37

I wonder not so much ``is this safe?'' as ``how can we do this so it is
safe?''  I've recently heard of Welsh gardeners digging a trench in the
vegetable patch where the next season's crop of leeks will be set out.
The household members, under cover of darkness, would squat over the trench
and deposit their daily contribution, covering it with a bit of soil, gradually
moving from one end of the trench to the other.  The leek seedlings were
then set into the trench, which was refilled with dirt as the leeks grew.
The result:  giant leeks, with long, white, well-blanched stems.  Because
these were always cooked, there was apparently little trouble with transmission
of pathogens.  

F.H. King's classic *FARMERS OF FORTY CENTURIES* describes
the abundant use of nightsoil on the agricultural land of China, Korea,
and Japan.  King gives much credit to this practice for the relative permanence
of Oriental agriculture up to that time (1911?), and warns that unless
we in North America adopted similar practices, we were heading for soil
bankruptcy.  Perhaps the massive inputs of nitrogen fixed by fossil fuels
has delayed the fulfillment of King's prophecy.  Regardless, human feces
and urine are valuable resources that we could make better use of than
we do.

Olkowski and Olkowski, writing in *THE CITY PEOPLES BOOK OF RAISING FOOD*
state that urine is safe to use in the garden. 
Any problem of increased acidity could be alleviated by addition of lime.
Supposedly, there is enough nitrogen in one person's annual to all the nitrogen
requirements of that same person's annual vegetable consumption.

But feces seem to pose more of a problem.  Can we safely compost human
waste on a household or local level, and will the resultant humus be an
appropriate garden fertilizer?  Some suggest that even composted human
feces should not be used in the vegetable garden, especially if those that
eat the vegetables are fond of salads.  Instead, these people recommend
that such compost be reserved for orchard and ornamental crops.  

Suggestions, ideas, comments please.

Thom Leonard, East West Journal, Brookline, MA USA


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com