The first rule is to mix finer and coarser ingredients. All of the ingredients below are good for the compost heap.
Coarse ingredients include straw, egg shells, shrub trimmings, larger weeds.
Intermediate ingredients include shredded newspaper, most kitchen waste.
Finer ingredients include grass clippings, green leaves, small weeds, tea leaves.
Activator ingredients are the various animal manure - horse, cow, pig, chicken - almost all animal manure is suitable.
Don't use meat or fat, too much wood ash, sawdust or weeds in seed on the compost heaps.