Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 The composts were made by placing approximately 2 tons of
 the green plants on a level place 10 feet square and then sprink-
 ling uniformly over this 25 pounds of the reagent after the plants
 had been thoroughly packed by tramping. The process was
 repeated until the third layer had been placed, then 35 pounds
 of the reagent were used on the fourth layer. Forty pounds
 of reagent were used on the fifth layer. The concentration of
 the reagent in the upper layers of the compost allowed for leach-
 ing of the material through the compost and a more even dis-
 tribution of the reagent. The compost heap was finished with
 a slight depression in the center and soil thermometers were
 placed in this depression. The temperature of the compdsts
 was taken after 3, 7, 14, 28, 60 and 120 days. The temperature
 readings are recorded in Table 1.

 TABLE 1.-TEMPERATURE OF WATER HYACINTH COMPOSTS.
 (Degrees Fahrenheit).
 Compost No. 2
 Days After Compost No. 1 (Cyanamid Compost No. 3
 Composting (Urea Reagent) Reagent) (Without Reagent)
 3 70.0 70.0
 7 109.9 111.2
 14 131.9 129.9 111.2
 28 129.9 131.9 117.9
 60 106.9 109.9 106.0
 120 117.9 119.8 111.2


 Maximum temperatures were obtained after 14 and 28 days.
There was not much difference in the maximum temperatures of
the composts but the maximum temperature of the untreated
compost was not as high as that of the heaps treated with the
reagents.
 Observations made at the 14-day period indicated rapid de-
composition of composts 1 and 2, but flower buds were opening
from plants still growing in compost 3. After 60 days all com-
posts were in a fair stage of decomposition. At this time com-
post 1 seemed to be the least decomposed and compost 2 the
most decomposed. The composts were forked over and thor-
oughly mixed at this time.