«B 



JOCBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ Jolr 4, 18«7. 



gjttiena. They are the plague spots of the village ; few in com- 

 parison with the cottages, for the proprietor is unwilling to 

 multiply such centres of disease. They stand in situations of 

 indecent publicity, at a distance from the tenements, for both 

 cottagers and proprietors avoid encountering their foul exhala- 

 tions oftener than necessity obliges. But nobody has had the 

 faintest idea of the manner by which these hotbeds of fever 

 could be turned into pleasant places and sources of proht to 

 those who had hitherto experienced nothing but annoyance from 

 them. 



This was much the condition of Halton some months ago. At 

 that time attention was called to the practice of the earth 

 method, through the writings of the Kev. Henry Moule, Vicar 

 of Fordington. Two closets were fitted and used with such 

 perfect success as to lead at once to its appl. cation in twenty- 

 five others ; still with such satisfactory results as to induce Sir 

 Anthony de Rothschild to make arrangements for using them 

 extensively in the adjoining village of Aston Clinton. 



Many here are already well acquainted with the practice 

 of this method ; but for the benefit of the uninstrueted, I will 

 shortly say that IJ lb of dry earth is cast upon the soil and 

 urine, thoroughly and instantaneously deodorising the one, and 

 perfectly absorbing the other. At first, whilst the method was 

 being treated experimentally, the soil and earth were caught by 

 a metal vessel pushed under the seat from the back, which was 

 removed every morning, but it soon became apparent that this 

 was unnecessary. Cesspools of bricks are now substituted, to 

 be cleared out once in three months, or at longer intervals, 

 according to their size or the convenience of the tenant, with- 

 out the smallest offence to any one. It is then taken to the 

 earth shed and redried, to be again passed through the closet. 

 There is good evidence that this operation may be repeated six, 

 eight, or ten times with cumulative power of fertilisation, and 

 obvious economy of earth and transport. The earth whilst re- 

 drying, does not emit any unpleasant odour, even when sub- 

 jected to the fiercest summer heat. In winter it will be neces- 

 sary to carry on this operation by means of a small kiln ; one 

 large enough for the requirements of a thousanJ people may 

 be constructed for less than £20. The population to whose 

 wants the Halton establishment will attend numbers about 

 eight hundred, widely scattered through the villages of Halton, 

 Buckland, Weston, Turville, and Aston Clinton. It is calcu- 

 lated that the operation may be efficiently performed by a man 

 and boy, with the assistance of one horse and cart. The round 

 of all the closets will involve a journey of eight miles. The 

 same force employed in a town wuuld probably satisfy the re- 

 quirements of double such a population. 



Those who wish to see the earth method adopted by the 

 cottagers without employing a man speciully to attend to it, 

 should have an opening made at the backs of the closets through 

 which they may throw a shovelful or two of dry unsifted earlh 

 each day, with the same practical result as that afforded by the 

 mere refined apparatus of Mr. Moule. I can speak to the fact 

 that the whole operation, from first to last, is carried through 

 without the least unpleasantness. One of its most valuable 

 results being that the offensive and conspicuous objects, to 

 which I have just alluded, may now be so arranged as to form 

 a portion of the house, without inflicting the smallest annoy- 

 ance on the tenant. The cottagers express themselves grateful 

 for this addition to their health and comfort. The village has 

 now no foul smells, nor are the ditches any longer filled with 

 liquid filth. 



This is the result of a simple mixture of dry earth with 

 human soil, and which, if applied to towns, would not involve, 

 in any case, the necessity for baking excreta in a pie-dish, as 

 has been suggested by a noble correspondent of the Times. An 

 engineer has written to that journal to say that earth does 

 not deodorise human soil; but as I cannot disbelieve the 

 evidence of my own senses, I most positively affirm that it does, 

 not partially, but completelj' and instantaneously. There is no 

 reason, however, why any time should be consumed in dis- 

 cussing that part of the question, beciuse there is no man 

 within the four seas so poor as to be unable to make the experi- 

 ment and judge for himself at any time ; besides, you have the 

 nndeuiable testimony of the great Lawgiver, Moses, in his well- 

 known rule for the sanitai-y arrangement of Jewish camps. 

 (Deut. xxiii. 12, 14.) 



There is, however, one great obstacle to the success of the 

 earth method movement, and I do not think it can be exagger- 

 ated. It is the difficulty of inducing the public to believe that 

 a system which requires no science to a|>pl.> it, and little capital 

 to work it, but which must, at the same time, yield a very con- 



siderable profit and confer immense benefit on agriculture, call 

 really be worth trying ; and so I urge the noblemen and gentle- 

 men here present to-day to see it applied to the cottages over 

 which they have control ; whilst the cottagers will be grateful, 

 the safety of the proprietor will be ensured, for there in do 

 knowing when the fever generated in the village may strike a 

 deadly blow in the mansion of the rich. To the clergy I strongly 

 recommend its adoption in their schools ; it will imbue th» 

 scholars with ideas of decency and comfort, which they will not 

 fail to apply in after life. I earnestly entreat all classes to unite 

 in obtaining its general adoption throughout the land, and I 

 deliberately assert my belief, that whoever tries it honestly and 

 fairly will join with nie in recommending it to all bis neigh- 

 bours. One of our domestic animals afflicts us with abomi- 

 nations which we have all experienced, but give this crafty 

 creature free access to dry earth, in-doors or out, and it set« 

 mankind an example of thrift and cleanliness which it is stupid 

 not to follow ; for when the fruits of the earth, after satisfying 

 the wants of man, are returned to do for it at a small cost what 

 Peruvian guano does at vast expense, we shall have the water 

 unpoisoned and full of fish, with land of increasing fertility, 

 without fever; whilst the public will believe, as I believe now, 

 that no movement so fraught with benefit to the public health 

 has ever had place since the days of Jenner. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 It does not seem to be generally known that the privileges 

 of the Fellows of the Eoyal Horticultural Society extend to a 

 free admission to the Great Exhibition which is to open at 

 Bury St. Edmunds on the IGth inst. All who become Fellows 

 of the Society before that date will be entitled to exercise this 

 privilege. 



In addition to those named last week, the following 



Floral and Horticultural Societies have announced their inten- 

 tion to hold exhibitions and meetings during the present 

 month : — 



July 4th Northampton Floral and Hort. Fete. 



„ 5th Tunbridge Wells. 



„ 9th, loth Leicester. 



„ 13th Denny and Punipace, N-B. 



„ 17th Newport ( Salop). 



„ 16th to 19th Rojal Horticultural, Eorj St. Edmnnda. 



„ 19th Leslie, N.B. 



„ 30th Kojul Oxford. 



WORK FOR. THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Let a plot of ground be trenched and highly manured forth- 

 with to receive a good breadth of Caulijlowers and Walcheren 

 BruccoU. Grange's Impregnated, if true, is also must valu- 

 able, as it is of a self-protecting character, and if planted with 

 the Cauliflowers it will form a complete succession. Attention 

 to plantiug the above will iusure a supply throughout Novem- 

 ber, December, and even January. Colcuorts, sow more of the 

 dwarf and compact kinds, also a pinch of Chervil and Com 

 Salad. Endive, sow a little every week in July. Herb-cuUing 

 must be attended to, choosing a perfectly dry day, and cutting 

 the moment the plants begin to blossom. Lettuce, gocjd breadths 

 oi Brown Cos may soon be sown, as it will not be liable to run. 

 Peaa, the crops of Knight's Marrows and British Queen should 

 be topped when at the top of their sticks; tbey will branch 

 out sideways if the ground has been thoroughly piepaied. Let 

 late Ptas have eveiy encouragement, esiecially by lliorough 

 sticking. Give plenty of water to Celery recently planted, and 

 pick off any leaves that may be seen niarUed with the fly_ 

 The soil in which this crop is planted cannot be made too rich, 



FEniT OAIIDEN. 



Apple, Plum, and Cherry trees having crumpled foliage, from 

 being infested with aphis, should be ralher uut^pariugly short- 

 ened, and the removed portions burned. After the trees have 

 been gone over they should be syiiuged with gas liquur mixed 

 with eight or ten parts of water. This will destroy many 

 kinds of iuseots, but will take little or no effect upon the 

 American blight. Where this appears it will be necessary to 

 apply naptha with a small brush. The naptha distilled from 

 coal tar is the cheapest, and answers this purpose qiiile as well 

 as the more expensive kinds. The late rains have been favour- 

 able to the production of Strawberry-runners, and as soon as 

 a sufficient number have struck root for the purposes of forcing 



