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Tiip FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



all unpleasant odour, the same being found of the solid 

 manure. Mr. Austin, however, thinks that modifica- 

 tions can easily be introduced, "so as to completely 

 obviate the slightest inconvenience even in the hottest 

 weather." What thpse ipiprovemepts are we now pro- 

 pose to notice. 



The sewage is, in the first instance, supplied to a large 

 and rather deep lank, in which is deposited the chief 

 proportion of the solid matters held in suspension. Be- 

 tween this and Ihe ne.xt tank, which is much shallower 

 than the first, a simple division (formed of basket-work 

 and perforated boards in the centre) is placed ; the liquid, 

 by this arrangement, can only pass through from the 

 first to the second tank at a certain depth beneath the 

 surface, the whole of the division not being perforated, 

 but only a portion near its centre. At the end of the 

 second or shallower tank, filtering materials of difi'erent 

 kinds are to be arranged, the sewage passing through 

 these laterally. These filtering media should be, first, 

 coarse screened gravel, burch, or broken stones; second, 

 gravel of medium coarseness ; and third, sqme finer 

 materia!. " And there w^ould be much ads'antage in 

 having this filter shallow and broad, rather than deep 

 and narrow ; the surface-water would only pass away, 

 and thus allow of further deposition from the main body 

 before filtration. It would be subject to greater friction 

 and disengagement of the solid matter and foul gases ; 

 and the filtering medium itself would be less readily 

 clogged, and would be more accessible for cleansing 

 without removal, as it could be turned over in its place, 

 and subjected to a complete washing from a water-tank 

 above as often as desired. A very small area of filter 

 so placed wouhl be found sufficient for all practical 

 purposes." 



After passing from the filtering media, the liquid sew- 

 age is subjected, in a separate chamber, to a stream of 

 cream of lime from a height above. After the addition 

 of the lime, it passes to a chamber much larger than that 

 used at the Cheltenham Works, so as to allow of atpple 

 time for further precipitationbefore it is allowed to pass to 

 the outfall. The admixture being made as the sewage flows 

 into the reservoir on each side, a fender intercepts it, so 

 as to prevent it disturbing the main body of the liquid. 

 The discharge to the outfall is made over a weir, allow- 

 ing only a thin film of water from which the lime has 

 been precipitated to pass to the outfall. 



Tisere are two sets of tanks, &c., as thus described, 

 one to be filled while the slush is being removed from 

 the other. This removal is proposed to be effected by 

 Mr. Austin in a niuch more simple way than is done at 

 the Cheltenham Works. A double gangway, or railway 

 of timber, is constructed above each line of tanks from 

 end to end. On this a truck runs, carrying a windlass, 

 by which the slush can be hoisted up in buckets ; ihis 

 being emptied into a receptacle also carried by the truck, 

 and from which it is led by a shoot to be mixed with 

 the heap of ashes laid alongside of the tanks. By this 

 arrangement all flooring and roofing are avoided, ^ 

 small covered shed only being required for the limipg 

 process to be carried on under, and for the protection of 

 the tools. 



Having now shown how the sanitary requirements of 

 the question may be met in a measure almost completely, 

 if not fully so, satisfactory, we have to explain how best 

 may be met its agricultural necessities. This we pro- 

 pose to do iu another paper. R. S. B. 



THE PRESENT CONDITION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



Whatever may be the shortcomings of Americans, no 

 one will be likely to charge them with a want of general 

 Intelligence. A reference to the statistics of newspaper 

 circulation, book publishing, and common schools, 

 would relieve them from such an unworthy imputation. 

 And yet it may faiily be asked why, with this general 

 diffusion of intelligence, is it that there is so little of an 

 approach to a scientific course of husbandry ? Why 

 are there so few schools and colleges of agriculture in 

 existence ? Why do American farmers crop their land 

 with so little judgment, that the average yield of wheat 

 and other cereals in the older States has very rapidly 

 decreased, whilst, during the same time, England has 

 doubled her production ? To these interesting queries 

 we can give a ready reply. Until a nation has, by the 

 necessities of its growth, acquired a realization of the 

 fact that its farms cannot be maintained in fertility with- 

 out a return of plant-food equal to the depletion caused 

 by the removal of crops, we cannot expect to ste much 

 attention paid to scientific agriculture. This conviction 

 will come sooner or later, as there is a more or less ex- 



tensive territory in a condition to be appropriated by 

 those who find their land becoming sterile, and lack the 

 capital to renovate it. 



It is useless to urgo upon an American farmer the 

 expenditure of sums for drainage, and special manur- 

 ing, much larger than it would cost him to purchase a 

 new farm and make all his improvements upon it ; and 

 hence is it that with a boundless area of land stretching 

 westward, the farmer, driven from his homestead by his 

 own mismanagement, and that of his predecessors, 

 settles upon an unbroken fertile farm, and gives no heed 

 to the man of science. So long as we have a sparse 

 populatiDn, and a large area of arable land that can be 

 had in fee for the nominal price of five shillings per 

 acre, we may expect a comparatively tardy development 

 of agricultural science. Meanwhile we have agricultural 

 papers with lists of fifty thousand subscribers, and agri- 

 cultural books are purchased in great numbers, and 

 State legislatures establish Boards of Agriculture, and 

 societies are formed in every township, and farm imple- 

 ments of wonderful capabilities are invented by hun- 



