Dear Pandit ji, While reading the August issue of Gobar Times, I came across Vishal Singh’s letter regarding olives and the possibility of growing them in Uttaranchal. On my first visit to Tehri Garhwal some twenty years ago, I noticed some signboards on the road close to Chamba publicising a European Economic Community (EEC) funded programme for introducing olives to the region. It might be interesting to follow up whether this project had any lasting impact or not. David Bhai District Almora Uttaranchal Dear Pandit ji, Indians have always used unrefined sugar in the form of sugar cane juice, jaggery, and other such products, which are healthy since they are either not refined or refined minimally with very little loss of nutrients. Refined white sugar is indeed a white poison! Many harmful chemicals are used in sugar processing, and most of its nutrients are lost in the process. Jayawanth Bangalore Dear Pandit ji, Let me congratulate you for your crusade against environmental pollution and for creating awareness among the people about its hazards. I have also been doing the same work in my humble way by publishing big and small articles in a Urdu daily The Munsif, published from Hyderabad, for the last seven years. Two months ago when I had the good fortune of laying my hand on Gobar Times I was really thrilled and overjoyed not only by its contents but also by the attractive and impressive way you present every thing. I want to translate some of the matter like the questions and answers and other interesting facts and data published in your paper into Urdu and try to get it published in the Urdu dailies here. I would also like to contribute some thing to your paper. S M H Hashmi Hyderabad, AP Dear Pandit ji, I’m T. Ramya. I want to say that through Gobar Times children get to know a lot of things, which they can never get from books. T Ramya Via e-mail

Vermicomposting is using earthworms to turn organic wastes into very high quality compost. The most commonly used earthworm species (or composting worms) are Brandling Worms (Eisenia foetida) or Redworms (Lumbricus rubellus). These species are only rarely found in soil and are adapted to the special conditions in rotting vegetation, compost and manure piles.

Composting worms are available from mail-order suppliers, or from angling shops where they are sold as bait. In addition to worms, a healthy vermicomposting system hosts many other organisms such as insects, mold, and bacteria.

Small-scale vermicomposting is well suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil.

A lot of information is available on how to vermicompost, but there are a few aspects that one must remember when vermicomposting using kitchen waste:

1. A balance between "green matter" such as kitchen scraps and "brown matter" such as shredded newspaper must be maintained in order for the worms to do their work. This is often called "carbon to nitrogen ratio", and should be approximately  2:1. Covering the kitchen scraps with a layer of "brown matter" has the added benefit of reducing odor and insect problems.

2. Too much oil or fat can hinder the breathing of the worms, as they breathe through their skin. They do not like highly spiced foods such as onions, garlic, or heavliy salted foods. They cannot break down bone or synthetic material.

3. Over the long term, care shouldbe taken to maintain optimum moisture levels.

4. Worms and other microorganisms in the composting process require oxygen, so the bin must "breathe". You must regularly remove the composted material, add holes to the composting bin, or use a continuous-flow bin.