132 TOWN SEWAGE, AND ITS 



provide a farm for irrigation, and one extending to 238 acres 

 was purcliased some twelve or thirteen years ago, across the 

 river in Northamptonshire. The town was fortunate in securing 

 it, for the rent paid before the purchase was £4, 10s., and as it 

 cost a triHe less than £100 an acre, the rent is calculated at £3, 

 15s. One hundred acres meantime is let to a tenant ; 132 acres 

 is under sewage, and it is managed in behalf of the town by Mr 

 Garrett, who is also town surveyor. 



The town is supplied with choice water, the total quantity of 

 solid matter in the gallon is 23 grains, and 14 per cent, of the 

 solids is carbonate of lime — so it will vie with the " Banbury 

 cakes," which have been famous for generations. About 245,000 

 gallons is the daily supply, and it is pumped from the river from 

 which it is drawn, through a line bed of gravel and sand by 

 downward filtration. The same engine pumps the sewage, which 

 is estimated at 350,000 gallons a day. An 18 -horse power 

 engjine did all the work when we first visited the place, and it 

 lifted the sewagre 21 feet. But as one of the incidents that 

 increase the rates in towns, a new boiler, engine, and other 

 appliances had to be provided at a recent date, which cost nearly 

 £1800. The engine is at work about 9 hours a day, and 220 to 

 250 tons of coals are consumed in the year, at a cost of £130 to 

 £150. About £220 are paid annually for farm labour, which 

 includes the engine driver, whose salary is 26s. per week. Alto- 

 gether £4000 were originally spent in engine, buildings, main, 

 levelling, draining, and laying out the farm. The land, being 

 mostly of a tenacious character, was drained before sewaging was 

 commenced, and although little of the sewage passes downwards 

 through the soil, the effluent water passes away in a satisfactory 

 state. 



There are 77J acres in permanent grass, which is overflowed 

 by the Cherwell when in flood, at least to some extent ; but as 

 the water does, not remain long, nor leaves any mud deposit, it is 

 seldom that any damage is sustained. This portion is irrigated 

 by the sewage during winter, and after the first cutting. As 

 there is no provision for discharging the sewage in rainy periods, 

 it is discharged on this meadow, however wet it may be, and 

 the crrasses on these old meadows have become finer since the 

 sewage was applied. The first cut of this meadow was sold this 

 year (15th June 1883) at £3, 16s. per acre. It is a fine crop of 

 fine quality, and the hay estimated to weigh 50 cwt. per acre. 

 The Italian rye-grass is three years down, and is mowed three 

 times in the summer. At the first auction this vear, it 

 commanded £4, 6s. 6d. per acre, which may amount for the three 

 mowings to from £16 to £18, — of course the competition and prices 

 are greater in dry summers. The course of cropping is as follows — 

 rye-grass three years, mangels fourth year, and lastly oats with seeds. 



