56 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



gation. For several years it was a controverted point among 

 English engineers whether that was the proper proportion 

 or not. Finally, he modified his estimate, and admitted that 

 he might want one acre for every three hundred people. 

 And now it is agreed by the calmest and most unbiased 

 observers, those who like to be on the safe side in their 

 statements and estimates, that it is not proper to calculatie 

 on a smaller area than one acre for every hundred of popu- 

 lation. That would require four thousand acres for the city 

 of Boston. It must be sandy land, with a gravelly subsoil. 

 Where is such an amount of land of that character to be 

 found within the environs of Boston? That is the problem. 

 I do not know where we can find such a place to go to, and 

 consequently we have to pour it into the sea. 



To show what queer notions people get into their heads on 

 this subject, one gentleman came to me who thought he had 

 a panacea for all this evil. Said he : "We can build barges 

 and carry this sewage matter out of the harbor and dump it 

 into the sea, or carry it down to the Cape ; then we will not 

 have any trouble from it." I said: "That is a most ad- 

 mirable arrangement. About how large a barge will you 

 have?" He didn't know. "Two or three hundred tons." 

 Said I : " Suppose you should have one of a thousand tons ; 

 how much would it cost?" He thought it might cost two or 

 three thousand dollars. Now, a barge of that size would 

 cost twenty thousand dollars. How much sewage is dis- 

 charged every day ? Thirty millions of gallons. What does 

 that represent? One hundred and twelve thousand tons per 

 day. Consequently, one hundred and twelve barges of a 

 thousand tons capacity, costing twenty thousand dollars 

 apiece, would be required to carry that filthy water to the 

 sea. Each barge would cost fifty dollars to handle it, and 

 its load would be worth less than fifteen dollars, estimating 

 the value of fertilizing elements in it. You see that you 

 load the whole problem with such conditions that it falls by 

 its own weight. Another man says : "Why can't we carry 

 it down to Cape Cod ? There are thousands of acres down 

 there good for nothing but to shoot sand birds upon." It 

 would cost eight cents for every thousand gallons to get it 

 there, for there must be a pumping station or stations suffi- 



