232 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



soon be ruined. It had been asserted that soils had a certain fixed 

 power of absorbing sewage manure ; but he contended that the power 

 was not fixed, but depended on a gi-eat variety of cii'cumstances, and, 

 amongst others, on the concentration of the liquid. If, for instance, 

 they were to express the absorptive power of a particular soil of known 

 composition by a symbol, the value of that symbol would alter for every 

 degi-ee of dilution. The concentration of the liquid, therefore, affected 

 the absorption. Generally sjjcaking, soils took up more fertilizing 

 matter from concentrated than from dilute liquids ; and a highly dilute 

 liquid would take out of some soils more of certain constituents — for 

 example, potash — than it brought upon them. This he proved in the 

 case of Alderman Mechi's heavy clay-land. He thought experience 

 was in favour of applying large doses of sewage to sandy soils, or soils 

 which were very poor in fertilizing substances. For a long time he 

 maintained that sandy soils were grateful for any kind of maniu'c, and 

 for any quantity of sewage. If a small quantity were put on them, 

 they felt the cfiect ; if a larger quantity Avcre applied, the result was 

 better ; while what many might consider an excessive dose yielded the 

 most rem\merative crop. When the soil had been thoroughly soaked, 

 a large store of fertilizing matters was brouglit by degrees to the sur- 

 face, and with a growing grass-crop was put into circulation. Large 

 quantities of water were tlirown off by the grass leaves, a circulation 

 of the liquid took place through capillary attraction, and the sewage 

 was brought from a considerable depth to the sui-face to strengthen 

 and nom'ish the plant. Hence it was that grass-crops were so ma- 

 terially benefited by the use of dilute liquid-manui-es like sewage. As 

 regarded arable land, he was confident that farmers could not, except 

 under very special circiunstances, ai)ply sewage beneficially. There 

 might be exceptional cases ; for instance, for the growth of mangold- 

 wui'zel, in large quantities liquid-manm-e in the shape of sewage might 

 in very warm and dry summers be used with advantage. The soaking 

 of poor soils in very dry springs might also be of use for corn-crops, 

 not excepting wheat. I3ut when they had to deal with such a largo 

 bulk of liquid manm'C, they must not regard exceptional cases, but 

 make provision for ordinary ones ; and he was quite confident that 

 sewage would never be largely used for arable soils or as a manure 

 like farmyard-manure. He woidd only add, that if farmers wished to 

 use supcrphosj^hate, they should put it on the soil and leave the rain 

 to wash it in, and not put it fii'st into the sewage, and then apply both 

 together to that land. 



The Earl of Longford said : Mr. Lawcshad observed that he thought 

 farmers might afford to give a halfpenny per ton for sewage. He 

 should like to know whether he thought that sewage could be delivered 

 at that rate ? 



Mr. J. C. Morton said he had within a few days received letters on 

 this subject from thi-ce correspondents. One was from Mr. Campbell, 

 of Eugby, saying that in the paper which he had lately read before 

 the Society of Arts justice had hardly been done to Mr. Lawes's sewage 

 experiments at Eugby, and declaring his entire confidence in those 

 experiments, and his j^ersonal knowledge of the fitness of the methods 



