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Compost is homemade humus: a lightener for heavy clay soil, a moisture-holding, spongy additive for sandy ones, a simple way of returning to the earth some of the nourishment that plants must take out of it to grow, bloom and fruit. In other words, a boon, and the making of it great good sense.
Why make it?
For economy; as a soil improver it costs almost nothing to make and the ingredients are, for the most part, things you would otherwise have to get rid of at some cost or inconvenience- dead leaves, grass clippings, stalks and
flower heads, pulled weeds, old sods, dropped fruit (watch out for wasps with these!), leftovers from the vegetable garden. You can also add kitchen scraps, eggshells and coffee grounds. The other ingredients are inexpensive and easy to come by- some fertilizer and a little lime, air and water for improving soil by creating conditions for better drainage and better retention of moisture (this isn't as contrary as it sounds because goodgarden soil needs both) for encouraging excellent growth of plants by stimulating and supporting development of helpful bacteria in the soil for increasing good tilth in soil by mixing in when digging new beds and making plantings of all kinds, when adding top dressings and mulches.
When to make compost
Almost any time you have the materials to begin with. Good technique can produce usable compost in temperate parts of the country in a year, in the colder north it may take up to two or three years. But a yearly sequence of making the mix will eventually pay off in constant production, it is just a matter of getting started and keeping at it.
How to make compost
There is more than one good way to make a compost pile, but all have the general characteristics of a large, varied, damp sandwich. If you live in Zone 3 and up, choose a shady, out-of-the-way part of the garden because, except to dyed-in-the-wool conservationists and thrifty gardeners, a compost pile is not a thing of beauty. In Zones 0, 1 & 2, because of the more prolonged deep cold, it's wiser to place a compost pile in a well-drained area in full sun. Set off an area of three sections, each approximately 4x4 feet Divide them from each other by heavy link fencing set firmly with metal posts, or build low unmortared walls of concrete block laid with its holes horizontal to allow air to penetrate the pile, or take a chance on the sureness of your eye and pile up each section of compost without any support. In number one bin, start with 6 inches of manure or 1 inch of soil. Dust the surface, in proportions of 4-6 ounces per square yard, with a high nitrogen fertilizer. (Nitrogen hastens rotting and the sooner this is complete the sooner your compost is ready to use.) Next, add 8 inches of leaves or other vegetative material, dusting with ground limestone; if you will be using the finished compost for acid-requiring plants such as rhododendrons omit the limestone. You can also add wood ashes, if you have them, for their high potash content. Then repeat the sequence of layers until the pile is about 4 feet high. Dish the top inwards so that rain will run into not out of the pile, and if weather is dry keep it moist (but not sopping wet) by hosing. (See drawing).
 Turn it over at the end of the first month with a digging fork, and as frequently thereafter as your time will allow. The oftener it is turned- up to once a month- the quicker it will decompose. But don't be disheartened if you cannot do it this often. Lots of good compost piles are only turned once or twice a year.
In the Far North, it is best not to enclose the pile with block or fencing because collected rain in the base could freeze into a solid block of ice that might never completely thaw during the summer, thus slowing the whole process. Better build in the open, cover with clear plastic, screen the rough material to get soil for special plantings. Rub rough compost against a 0.5 - 1 inch mesh screen to get a fine mix for potting soil, seed beds and lawn dressing. What does not go through the screen return to the pile for another year. If making large amounts of compost quickly and effectively is important for you, buy a power-shredder.
At the end of the first period of decomposition, toss the material from bin number one into number two. At the end of the second into number three; use this while repeating the process, starting a new pile each time in the first vacated bin battening it down snugly with soil. Further watering will not be necessary until the pile is uncovered in 10 weeks, turned, fertilized, watered again and recovered. 
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