62 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



(lucstion of piiinpinj^ tu a siinioiciit clovatioii. Mighty stoain lias settled 

 tliat (luostion. M'Leaii's inoiithly reji^istcr of llic pcifuriiKUiee of llie best 

 Cornish eiij^incs shows that 112 lbs of ct al (worth Is.) will raise 101), 000,- 

 000 Ihs. <jf waterone foot hi«^h. Sir .Tosepli Paxton in his evidenee before the 

 Parliaincntary committee, values the water alone of the sewaj^e at 2(1. per 

 ton at certain seasons. The sands near Edinburgh, not worth 5s. per acre, 

 have been raised in annual value to £21 per acre by the application of 

 town sewage only."' 



Prof. jNIapes. — There is a great difference between the two countries. Our 

 sewage here is so much more diluted, and coal to produce power so much 

 more expensive, that it is very doubtful whether the value of the sewage 

 would p;iy the cost of its elevation to a hight sullicient to carry it out upon 

 any cultivated lands in the vicinity. There would be another diniculty 

 liere, and that is to induce the farmers to use the sewage water after it is 

 brought within their reach. It is notorious that American farmers arc 

 very negligent about using fertilizers. 



Mr. Win. S. Carpenter. — I think it of more importance for our farmers 

 to attend to the sewerage of their own houses, as every house produces 

 enough to fertilize acres of land. I have erected a suitable cistern in 

 which all the slops of the house, water closets, &c., are conveyed; this 

 material I appl}' to the growing crops on the toj) of the soil, and have 

 experienced great results from its use. 



Prof. Mapes. — I am glad Mr. Carpenter has introduced the subject of 

 house-sewerage. I have for years used this material on my crops, but not 

 until this substance has been in the cistern sixty days, during whiili time 

 a great change takes place in its fertilizing ([ualities. 



Grapes and Strawberries in Illinois. 



Mr. E. D. Davenport, Waynesville, J)e Witt Co , 111., says: " Let me tell 

 fruit gr(jwers in Central Illinois that if they expect to grow strawberries 

 without a good deal of labor, in the way of mulching and watering, they 

 will fail; tor by the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat strawberries. I 

 liave planted this spring the following varieties of grapes and strawber- 

 ries: lOU Uelawares, 5 lonas, 5 Ilerbemont, 5 Anna, T) Diana, 5 Ctjuciird, 5 

 Union Village, and 2 Isnl.ella; also, 100 Bartlett and 100 Triomphe de 

 Gand strawi)erries. My grape vines are all growing without a single 

 exception, and so far as I can judge, the leaves all look healthy; and a.s 

 for my strawberries, I am more than pleased with them — I am rejoiced, 

 they look ho well." He asks which of an ecpial numl«'r of Helaware, 

 Concord, Hartford Prolitic, and liiidn Village, would pmbalily jiroduce the 

 greatest returns in money. TIk; answer to this »]uesti(in would be simph' 

 theory, and not Wdrth tlu; paper that it was written upon. What he wants 

 is facts. If nr) osie can give them from actual experiment, i\Ir. l)avenport: 

 must wait until he; can (jbtain them by his own experience. He says: " I 

 have been lor some linu; an attentive r<'ader <>i \)\. (J rant's works on 

 grape and strawberry growing, but am not (juite abh; to con)prehend his 

 meaning — [A g<jod many others are in the same |tredicament.] Dr. (Jrant 

 says, that in order to complete the planting of my vines I must layer or 

 bed them next spring, a distance of about ten or twelve inches. 1 wish to 



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