262 [Assembly 



valyes or doors around the sides of the cistern, and new material 

 thrown in at the top, and this process may be repeated whenever, 

 by experiment, a portion of the top strata will be found to refuse 

 the absorption of new quantities of ammonia. 



We are satisfied by experiment that charcoal dust, or even salt 

 meadow muck, decomposed by the use of salt and lime mixture, 

 has the power of readily absorbing all fertilizing materials, of or- 

 ganic origin, to be found in fluids, if the conditions accompanying 

 its filtration be such as we have suggested. When decomposed 

 muck is used, we find most of the alkalies are abstracted from 

 their solutions, and held by this organic matter. We have tried 

 it with the brown liquor of the barn yard, urine, spent lye, and a 

 variety of other substances. 



The sewerage of Edinburgh is found to contain in 10,000 gal- 

 lons, 11 lbs. of ammonia, 4 lbs. of [)otash, and 8| lbs. of phospho- 

 ric acid, having a value of about |2, and it will readily be seen 

 that the immense amount of this sewerage produced by a large 

 city, would furnish a quantity of fertilizing material, fully war- 

 ranting a very large^outlay for the necessary arrangements for its 

 abstraction, in addition to which many cities that are bounded by 

 small rivers would be rendered more healthy. Cities like Boston, 

 Albany, and many others occupying elevated positions, with ad- 

 jacent lowlands, are so conditioned as to render this filtration of 

 the sewerage perfectly easy, and the approach for the removal of 

 the solid materials from the tanks such as to require no handling 

 until received in the carts or wagons of the farmer. 



We offer the above remarks as suggestions for the use of those 

 who are inclined to propose plans for deodorizing sewerage. 



The practice of upward filtration we have faithfully tried for 

 other processes, such as the abstraction of color from brown syrups 

 by filtration through bone charcoal. We know practically that 

 the process is more complete and even when so conducted. 



Judge Van Wyek, after some remarks on the subject, proposed 

 as the subject for the next meeting " The weevil, that evil of our 

 wheat." 



