How to Be Successful at Composting
As an avid gardener and as someone who is conscientious of my environment, I purchased a compost bin several years ago. I have an abundance of yard and lawn clippings that I am not willing to dump into our already stressed landfills. In turn, my efforts for composting benefit me greatly because I can use this finished material to improve my soil texture, the soil's ability to hold water, and as a fertilizer.
Composting is a biological process for converting organic solid wastes into a stable humus like product. Within a compost pile, microorganisms attack organic substance, breaking it down and producing rich organic matter (Golueke,13). For this to occur, several things need to take place, two of which are a proper pH balance, and the correct carbon to nitrogen ratio.
The level of hydrogen ions in a solution, a measure of its relative acidity or alkalinity, is expressed in a number called the "pH' (Raven, A‑3). The pH scale runs from zero (extremely acid) to 14 (extremely alkaline). The middle of the scale is the neutral point and desired point. The pH is worth measuring because you can follow the process of decomposition. Soil pH affects plant growth in many important ways. It affects the root's ability to absorb water and nutrients, it has an effect on the solubility of toxic substances, and it has an effect on soil microorganisms (Sinnes, 26).
During the initial stages of decomposition, organic acids are formed. These acidic conditions are favorable for growth of fungi and breaking down lignin and cellulose. As composition proceeds the organic acids become neutralized, and the mature compost generally has a pH between 6 and 8 (Newberry).
Three important things you need to know ab...
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Adapted from The Composter (1999).
Works Cited
Aldrick, Samuel R. Nitrogen. In Relation to Food. Environment, and Energy. Illinois: Agriculture Experiment Station. (1980).
Golueke, Clarence G. Composting. A Study of the Process and its Principles. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, Inc. (1973).
Newberry, R., T. Tatum, D. Reynolds, & White, G. The Composter. http://www.digitalseed.com. (1999).
Raven, Peter H., Linda Berg and George B. Johnson. Environment. Fort Worth: Saunders College Publishing. (1995).
Sinnes, A. Cort. All About Fertilizers. Soils & Water. San Francisco: Terry Robinson & Co. (1979).
Trautman, N., Richard, T., & Krasny, Dr. Marianne E. Monitoring.Compost. http://www.cfe,comell.edu/compost/monitor. (2000).
“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is a story of an elderly black woman’s journey into town for her grandson’s medicine. Using lots of imagery throughout the story, the narrator tells us that the woman, Phoenix Jackson takes this dangerous journey out of love for her grandson who is in need of medicine. Throughout her journey, she encounters many people who are of great importance to the story.
Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path' is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. As the story begins, we are introduced to our main character, Phoenix Jackson; she is described as a small, old Negro woman. I believe that the name Eudora Welty gives our main character is very symbolic. The legend of the Phoenix is about a fabled sacred bird of ancient Egyptians. The bird is said to come out of Arabia every 500 years to Heliopolis, where it burned itself on the altar and rose again from its ashes, young and beautiful. Phoenix, the women in the story, represents the myth of the bird because she is described as being elderly and near the end of her life. Phoenix can hardly walk and uses a cane made of an old umbrella to aid her. Her skin is described as old and wrinkly, but yet with a golden color running beneath it 'Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath?(55). Her skin tone represents the golden feathers of the Phoenix and her grandson represents the next Phoenix that will be given life when she dies. The trip to the city to get the medicine represents the mythological trip that the Phoenix takes to the sun to die. Most likely this journey along a worn path through the woods, will be one of her last.
In the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty shows an old woman living in a time period where racial prejudice is rampant and out of control. Phoenix Jackson is a grandmother whose only motivation for living is to nurture her grandson back to health. The strength of love may make people do or say unusual and implausible things. The central idea of this story is that love can empower someone to over come many life-threatening obstacles. The idea is shown when an old woman conquers all odds against her to show her everlasting love for her grandson. Throughout the story Phoenix Jackson has to overcome many types of obstacles that hinder her in her devotion to help her grandson.
Beller, Michelle. “’A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty: symbols and Themes.” Yahoo, voices. Yahoo, inc. 29 Nov 2008. Web. 17 Mar 2014
In “A Worn Path” colors are used to emphasize the depth and breadth of the story, and to reinforce the parallel images of the mythical phoenix and the protagonist Phoenix Jackson. Eudora Welty’s story is rich with references to colors that are both illustrative and perceptive, drawing us in to investigate an additional historical facet of the story.
Noelle M. “Symbolism in Eudora Welty’s ‘A Worn Path’” Study mode N.P., Oct 2012. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.
In "A Worn Path", a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a "worn path" through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics have speculated that this short story represents the love a grandmother shows for her grandson. Others say this story represents life and death, where Phoenix represents an immortal figure. Dennis J. Sykes disagrees with the other critics by saying, "A parallel exists between the journey described and the plight of the Southern blacks after the Civil War" (Sykes). Ultimately, Eudora Welty demonstrates how blacks have been persecuted in a white world.
'A Worn Path' is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a grandmother for her grandchild. Phoenix Jackson is Eudora Welty's main character and protagonist in A Worn Path.? Phoenix is an old, frail woman who attempts to proceed on a long and treacherous journey through the woods to Natchez. Phoenix strives forward despite frequent obstacles in her way that include her own failing health and her grandchild's slim chance of survival. As she takes this prolonged trek across the woods, many of her characteristics are revealed. Her tenacity, senility, and consideration that she displays throughout her long worn path emphasize her character.
The short story "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, is a descriptive story of a grandmother's difficult journey, for a grandson she loves. Her devotion to her grandson and wanting to provide him with a better lifestyle, was her motivation to overcome these trials. On this trip, Phoenix Jackson, the grandmother, struggles against old age, nature, and reality.
In Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson went great lengths risking her own life for her grandson, who couldn’t help himself. On her worn path she faced the world with courage. Although she faced difficulty in her early life, her faith remained the same to help those who were dear to her heart. She walk a worn path relentlessly facing obstacles along the way with a mind that is diminishing overtime. Through the problems that she is faced with, she remains humble. She is admirable because considering her old age, weakness and loss of memory, she is determined. Welty’s details of character, symbolism, conflict and theme creates a compelling and fierce Phoenix Jackson. The moral message in this short story is to show the setting and characterizations
The Renaissance – that cultural, political, scientific and intellectual explosion in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries – represents perhaps the most profoundly important period in human development since the fall of Ancient Rome.
Composting is the process of biodegrading the waste material in which an enormous number of materials like hydrocarbons, nitrogenous compounds, acids, their derivatives and even other organic and inorganic substances can be remediated from the environment (Finstein et al., 1986). Compost pro...
Hernandez, G. (Eds.), Highlights of nitrogen fixation research (pp. 1-8). New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publisher.
Composts such as eggshells provide micro nutrients like calcium, (Silven, 2010) while there are composts that do not serve any nutritional benefits, like pulp made from soaked paper pieces, which has a pro of providing efficient mulching, which is able to prevent weeds from spreading or even growing in the area of mulching. (Alton G. Campbella, 2013) Another compost that provides a mulching capability but also provides a nutritional benefit is coco peat. The structure and texture of the coco peat allows prevention of weeds from growing in the area, due to its tangled-like form. With a layer of coco peat above it, it is also harder for weeds to grow towards the sunlight. It is also able to hold the soil well with the water holding properties which can help with plant structure. Coco peat is also derived from the husks of coconut shells, which is rich in fibre, thus also providing nutrients to the plants and also allows good water retention. (B.,