490 Town Sewage. 



These tabular statements are chiefly based upon direct in- 

 formation, obtained in part from Mr. McPherson, the Edinburgh 

 City Surveyor, and in part from the occupiers or managers of the 

 respective meadows. It should, however, be explained that, as 

 water-closets are not universal, and as the sewage is frequently 

 allowed to pass unused, the record only shows approximately the 

 total amounts available, whether used or wasted. 



Sewage has been applied to some portions of the land in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh for about 200 years, to a consider- 

 able portion for more than 60, and to most of that now under 

 irrigation for more than 30 years. In two instances arrange- 

 ments have been made for raising the sewage, by pumping, an 

 inconsiderable number of feet ; but the cost has been found too 

 great to allow of a sufficient quantity being applied per acre, and 

 hence the application in this way has been much limited, if not 

 on some portions of the land entirely abandoned. The applica- 

 tion is confined to meadow-land and Italian rye-grass, and the 

 distribution is entirely by means of open runs. When Italian 

 rye-grass is grown, the land is periodically broken up, and one 

 or two other crops taken without sewage before laying down 

 again to grass. The application to ordinary rotation crops on 

 arable land forms no part of the system adopted. 



There is no doubt that at Edinburgh larger amounts of sewage 

 are applied, and larger amounts of produce obtained per acre 

 than anywhere else. But, on the other hand, there is not only 

 very great waste of manurial constituents, but very imperfect 

 purification of the sewage. Hence their results, however im- 

 portant in some points of view, cannot be relied on as the 

 foundation either of estimates of the practical value of sewage, or 

 of safe conclusions as to the amount of sewage that can advan- 

 tageously be applied per acre when the drainage has to be passed 

 into a river, which may have to serve as the water-supply of 

 other towns, instead of, as at Edinburgh, having an immediate 

 outfall into the sea. 



It may be mentioned that generally four or five crops of grass 

 are obtained per acre annually, amounting, according to circum- 

 stances, to 30, 40, 50, 60, and even more tons per imperial acre, 

 and selling for prices varying from 8Z. to over 40/. per acre, but 

 averaging perhaps about 25/. These results are in themselves 

 sufficiently striking, and well merit careful inquiry and con- 

 sideration. 



Table XII. summarizes the results of the experience of the most 

 important instances of sewage utilisation in other localities. 



