Page THE HALTON HILLS HOMESTYLE Saturday September 19W Home composting family project Lucky cat This article is provided by local Realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market If you re concerned about the amount of garbage you throw out every week you may want to con sider composting as an alternative Home composting of organic waste is a popular sensible way to recycle and it a project the whole family can take part in By setting up your own com posting system you can do your part help ease the strain on our land fills and at the same time cultivate a rich soil booster which can be used to fertil your vegetable and flower gardens A good portion of household gar is made up of organic waste consisting of vegetable peelings egg and nut shells table scraps coffee grounds grass clippings leaves and so on These materials are good composting fodder because they decompose fairly quickly The secret of the composting pro cess lies in the microscopic bacteria which live in soil and food These tiny organisms literally eat away at organic wastes The decomposition triggered by these minute life forms causes the pile to heat up and the heat speeds up the further breakdown of material The result of this continuous action is the black brown crumbly substance we call compost Setting A compost system can be as pie or complex as you want There are dozens of methods for establishing a successful pile but it really depends on the amount of space you have and what your com posting needs are If you an ex tensive garden you may want to generate more compost than so meone who has a small flowerbed Finding a space for your compost pile will also take some thought It best to locate it in a shady spot within easy walking distance from your kitchen Once you have chosen a spot you 11 need to decide how many containers you need for your system A compost container t absolutely necessary but it will keep the pile neat and helps to discourage and wild animals from foraging in your compost Some people even prefer to maintain inground compost piles you choose to go with an above- ground container system you may want to use a one two or threebin setup Bins can be made of wood masonry chicken wire and so on With a two or three bin system one bine is generally used for storing finished compost while the other two generate compost A garbage can with ventilation holes in the sides is probably one of the easiest Ivpes of compost containers to make set up your system you re ready to start building your compost pile Start with a layer of kitchen and yard waste and cover it with soil Keep building the layers up until the unit is full Don t forget to continue to turn the pile periodically this keeps the position process going You may also want to add supplements to the pile to help it along such as compost starter manure or lime Once your pile is established its important to make sure that it always has adequate moisture The material in the pile should always be as damp a a moist sponge You may also want cover your compost heap to protect it from too much rainfall Conversely if the pile becomes too dry you wanl to add some water The amount of time it takes your compost heap to break dow depends on the types of wastes you placed in the pile how often you turn the pile over and how much moisture it contains Generally piles that are turned frequently are quicker to produce compost As a result the decomposition period can take anywhere from a couple of months to one or two years While your compost heap is developing it a good idea to keep tabs on the amount of heat that is be generated When it stops generating heat or if it begins to produce odors the contents should be turned over However a compost THE BIG NEWS IN BATH DECOR IS COORDINATION Now you can dress your whole bath in a single shopping trip with a complete line of accessories to enhance a decorative shower curtain Shown here is Lucky a beguiling black cat design by Hygiene This curtain is pro tected with Pont Teflon soil and stain repellent so soapy water spilled shampoo and leaky lotions are repelled and unsightly mildew ib discouraged Coordinating accessories include a cush ioned seat tissue holder toothbrush holder drinking glass soap dish and largerthanlife bath mat Add pink towels to pick up the pink hearts the design and enjoy a carefree bath that gets it all together heap that has been properly established and managed should not smell When the composting process is complete vou shouldn be able to identify the original waste com However some materials may take longer to break down than hers so you may wanl to sort out the larger portions before using the compost in your garden Worms You may also want to try com posting with worms Redworms particular are known to thrive in compost heaps Their continuous movement keeps the pile well aerated and this cuts down on the amount of it takes for the organic contents to break down As a result compost heaps with worms may not need to be turned as often Vancouver company leads the world with largest computer display screen By JOHN EBERLEE A Vancouver high tech company has developed and will soon begin manufacturing the world s largest flat computer display screen an electronic drafting board for chitects engineers and graphic designers Invented by Charles Haynes the president of Plasma Computer Pro ducts the half inch thick screen consists of one layer of plasma an electrically charged gaseous material sandwiched bet ween two layers of glass says the device offers several ad vantages over traditional cathode ray screens For one thing he notes the fait tillable screen is better suited for ar tistic purposes than are curved monitors The user can draw sketches and scribbles directly the screen using a pen shaped device that converts visual data into a form computers can understand The light from plasma is a lot steadier than the light from a flickering cathode ray tube he adds And because there is no cathode radiation passing through the screen and hitting you there are therefore no health concerns But the most significant ad vantage is size PCP s plasma screens which dwarf cathode ray monitors measure up to cen timetres square says screens as large as picture windows could easily be built These unusual dimensions mean computer users have more elbow room to make intricate drawings They can also view a lot more in formation at a time because unlike cathode ray monitors a plasma screen resolution docs not decrease when the area of the screen Our screen is so large and its resolution is so high that you can use it to display a full size detailed city map says Haynes who expects fire and police departments will find uses for plasma screens in dispat Other potential applications include desktop publishing two full size newspaper pages can be viewed simultaneously with room to spare Flat plasma screens may also become popular as desktop themselves he predicts When you go to work you could flick on the screen and up would come an tronic calendar note pad address book and business card index However it will be several years before such plasma screens are af fordable Current prototypes cost says the first mass produced screens may sell for around The plasma screen was developed with help from scientific research tax credits It was showcased at the Canada Pavilion dunngExpo Coffee machines Continued from Page I In the interest of safety Proctor Silex requests that owners of the recalled coffeemakers discontinue using them and return the fee makers by mail as soon as possible Only the basic unit should be mailed immediately together with a label showing a return mail ing address in block print Do not return the glass carafe lid or basket parts Send to Proctor Silex Canada Product Safety Department Dept Box 1630A Ontario K0K Proctor will replace the with a 12 cup cof feemaker If you have any questions on this recall action please call the toll free recall question line at 8004653483 These lines are staf fed to handle recall questions only HOME OF THE WEEK BOB MORROW S0N CARPENTRY LTD KITCHENS BATHROOMS Decks Ceramics Additions and Windows CUSTOM CARPENTRY Lie Ho 53A ARMSTRONG AVE GEORGETOWN L7G Bus Res KINGSWAY CONTRACTING Commercial Industrial Residential New Construction Additions Renovations Country Lot Available 8785222 For Early Spring Booking AUTO PROPANE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL GUABAMTf ID SUPPLY GUARANTEED HOUR SERVICE milton 8782318 guelph 8227780