TflE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



491 



THE SEWAGE QUESTION: THE RELATION OF TOWN AND COUNTRY. 



In a previous number we gave under the above title 

 a glance at ihe " sanitary" and " commercial" features 

 of the question, the former having relation to the town, 

 the latter to the country. And it is only in viewing the 

 matter in this two-fold aspect, that any sound conclusion 

 can be arrived at, in connection with the important ques- 

 tions, " How shall we get rid of the nuisances of the 

 towns?" and "how best convert them into valuable 

 benefit in the country ?"' And the more fully these two 

 questions are investigated, the more fully proved, we 

 take it, will be the position which we have always ad- 

 vocated — that the primary duty of the towns is to get 

 rid of the nuisances, alike dangerous and degrading, 

 arising from the presence of materials which in the 

 country have some value as fertilizing agents ; and that 

 their secondary or subsidiary duty is to obtain for them 

 the amount of this value, not looking upon it as a source 

 of repayment for all expenses incurred in getting rid of 

 the nuisance, but gladly accepting it as just so much 

 fortunately contributed to the carrying out of a sanitary 

 measure, which their duty imperatively demands that 

 they shall carry out at any cost, and irrespective of any 

 other consideration. This view of the matter being con- 

 ceded then, as conveying the principle by which much 

 of the difficulties of the question may be solved, it will 

 be interesting to trace, as briefly as is consistent with 

 . the importance of the subject, those plans which, whilst 

 they fulfil the requirements of the sanitary, fulfil also 

 in a degree more or less modified those of the agricul- 

 tural or commercial department of the subject. 



In considering the various plans by which the refuse 

 of towns can best be applied as fertilizers in the country, 

 it has been usual to divide these into two great classes, 

 first, the "liquid," and second, the "solid" methods. 

 What are the distinctive features of each of these sys- 

 tems, and hoiv they are proposed to be carried practically 

 out, we have already briefly explained in the articles 

 alluded to at the commencement of the present 

 paper. AV'e pass on, therefore, to the explanation of a 

 method of operation, which, as it embraces some of the 

 peculiarities of both of the above systems, may be 

 termed the " composite," and which is advocated by 

 Mr. Austin, in his recent report to the Board of Health, 

 '• On the means of Deodorizing and Utilizing the Sew- 

 age of Towns." This " composite" plan may be briefly 

 described as a method of getting rid in the first place 

 of the solid and more offensive portions of the sewage, 

 using the material so obtained as a solid manure ; and 

 in the second place, using the liquid portions so purified 

 in the irrigation of land, in large and systematically ap- 

 plied quantities. Leaving for after- consideration the 

 agricultural, let us attend to the operative features of 

 the plan. 



And first, as to the method of getting rid of the more 

 offensive portions of the sewage, and preparing them as 



a solid manure. Of the plans fitted to secure this 

 Mr. Austin draws attention to the works at Cheltenham, 

 as " the most extensive, and at the same time most 

 successful." Of these wc now offer a brief description. 

 At the principal out-fall, a large building is erected, the 

 lower part of which is divided longitudinally into two 

 large reservoirs or tanks, used alternately. Each 

 tank is divided by transverse partitions into three tanks, 

 of which the upper and second are " filtering," the 

 lowest is " lining" or purifying. In the first and second 

 tanks large angular filters are placed, five feet deep and 

 two feet wide, and the sides of which consist of layers 

 of coarse gravel confined within two inch perforated 

 boards. The sewage as it passes from the tank to the 

 interior of these filters, leaves in the filtering material 

 much of its solid impurities. The heavier matters of 

 the sewage deposit themselves at the bottom of the tank, 

 whilst a thick scum or floating mass gradually accumu- 

 lates on the surface, till it reaches to a thickness of 

 eighteen inches. 



From the interior of the angular filters the liquid is 

 led to the third, or liming tank. In this, a wire or 

 division causes it to flow through a channel at each end, 

 and, in its passage through, to meet a stream of cream of 

 lime, which is let fall from the floor above, and by 

 means of which a further precipitation of the solid matter 

 in suspension is secured. The liquid sewage, thus com- 

 paratively purified, passes through a filtering mass of 

 gravel, finer than the previous filters, and finally through 

 a still finer mass in the outlet. 



As one set of tanks is found to contain a certain 

 amount of solid matter, the sewage is turned off" to the 

 other. The filters are then cleaned, the filtering media 

 being removed and washed. Above the series of tanks 

 thus described, a boarded floor is placed ; in this a series 

 of " traps" are placed, through which the slush in the 

 tanks below can be hoisted up to the floor of the second 

 storey. The " slush" is then wheeled out and " tipped" 

 over amongst a heap of scavengers' refuse, ashes, street 

 sweepings &c., and the whole well mixed. This heap of 

 refuse is made into a sort of " embanked reservoir," the 

 semi-liquid slush being turned into it. After absorp- 

 tion and thorough mixing, the solid material is fit for 

 use. The ashes, &c., absorb about two-thirds of their 

 bulk of sewage — a cubic yard of manure being formed 

 of two-thirds of a cubic yard of sewage slush and one- 

 third of a cubic yard of ashes, &c. " The cost of the 

 operation at the outfall is found to be 2s. 2d. per cubic 

 yard of manure," 8d. being the cost of the ash-^s per 

 cubic yard. The demand for it at the price of 2j. 6d. 

 per yard exceeded tvro or three times the supply ; so 

 that, as Mr. Austin states, they intended to raise the 

 price : 3s. 6d. per yard, it appears, would pay thj cost 

 of production, and the interest for the outlay for the 

 buildings. The resulting liquid is said to be free from 



