APPLICATION OF TOWX SEWAGE IN AGEICULTUEE. 183 



ducted over the field in shallow ditches, in the same manner as 

 upon my own meadow, and at an annual cost not exceeding os. 

 per acre. The quality of this sewage is fatter and of more value 

 than mine is ; it is also received in much greater volume, and is 

 not so difficult to manage ; and the quantity of sewage received 

 upon this field is sufficient to manure from 5 to 10 acres more 

 land. The produce has not been matured for hay, but is grazed 

 by cattle and sheep to accommodate Mr Pinkerton's business as 

 a butcher. The animals have access to water in a burn running 

 at the bottom of the field, but they have also free access to the 

 sewage water. Here then we have a valuable opportunity of 

 testing the effect upon the animal system of herbage grown with 

 sewage, and of drinking sewage water; and the answer is at once 

 complete and unmistakable. Mr Pinkerton, in carrying out his 

 business, buys cattle and sheep, grazing them for a week or two, 

 as he may require, on the sewage meadow ; but when any animal 

 was kept over from six to eight weeks it began to lose condition, 

 and to look unhealthy; liver rot set in, to be followed ere long 

 by death. This is not now allowed to take place, for the animals 

 are either slaughtered in proper time, or sent to a change of 

 pasture, to prevent what is now known to be certain loss. For 

 horses, cattle, and sheep, the land as grazing land has been proved 

 to be both unhealthy and deadly ; but as the sewage runs upon 

 some part of the land all the year round, it is impossible to say 

 how much of this is due to drinking the sewage water, or to 

 eating- the herbage. 



My own sewage meadow is about 150 yards from the stead- 

 ing, and we have never felt any offensive odour, nor have any 

 complaints been made of Mr Pinkerton's meadow ; and in walk- 

 ing regularly over the ground myself, I have never seen any- 

 thing, or felt any smell, likely to injure the health of either 

 man or beast ; and I would gladly receive upon my own farm 

 any quantity of town sewage. 



Thougli with our clay soil and retentive clay subsoil, it is 

 unsafe as grazing land, it has not been fuund to be so in every 

 instance. It gives me much pleasure to record the larger 

 experience of another experimenter, in which he says : — 



" We have sheep-grazing on irrigated meadow during the 

 winter months, which always thrive well and fast. 



" I never knew of a sheep drinking sewage water. 



" Stall-fed cows do well on irrigated grass, both milk well and 

 also feed well. 



'* Our own horses are very fond of it; but great care must be 

 exercised in giving soft grass to work horses. Our waternuin 

 has watered the meadows for about thirty years, and is always 

 well. I have been amongst sewage irrigation all my life, and it 

 has not had any bad effect on me." 



Should ensilage become a success in this country, a new mode 



