the Lost Science of Organic Cultivation, a book by
Albert Howard - a biologist who studied and taught at Wye College in Kent, and studied organics in India for 30 years
LILI: How does it work?
RH: There are two boxes - 'hot boxes' - sealed units, one of which is in use at any given time, and the other is closed and decomposing. You use box one for a week, then seal it and start using box two. When it's half full, you 'inoculate' it with a fork full of material from the first box. If you're starting the system from scratch, you go through the process twice before the really fast decomposition starts to kick in.
LILI: What's the secret?
RH: You select the right starting ingredients - which includes a little cow dung if available, although there are alternatives; you add the right amount of water, and monitor temperature and moisture content during the process. Then it's just a case of doing the right thing at the right time.
LILI: And what causes the fast decomposition?
RH: The real work is done by fungi. Fungi drink a lot of water, so you have to make sure the material is wet enough. If you get the ingredients, temperature and moisture content right, the fungi fructify on a massive scale.
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LILI: What are the applications?
RH: Well it can be used to rapidly break down all human waste, garden, kitchen and animal wastes. It works well in the UK, and meets environmental and health regulations. There's a huge potential in developing countries, where often there is no sewage infrastructure in place.
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