504 KEPOM— 1886. 



is experienced from the proximity of the river, except during unusual 

 floods. For conveying the sewage to the land a conduit 8 feet in diameter 

 and about 2f miles long has been constructed, capable of discharging 

 38 million gallons per day when running half-full, or double that quantity 

 running full, the fall being 2 feet per mile. This conduit commences at 

 the outlet end of the large tanks at Saltley and terminates at Tyburn, 

 valves being placed at suitable intervals for dischai"ging the sewage on to 

 the land passed through. Below Tyburn the capacity of the conduit has 

 been reduced, a conduit 3 feet 6 in. in diameter being sufiicient for the 

 remainder of the farm. The sewage is drawn from these conduits into 

 open brick carriers, which again discharge into secondary carriers of 

 earth, and thence into the flooding carriers. The brick carriers are con- 

 structed with a slight fall, steps being provided in the inverts at suitable 

 intervals for drawing down the water. The land is drained to a minimum 

 depth of 4 feet 6 in., but in many cases, owing to the level nature of some 

 of the land, a greater depth has been found necessary at the lower ends 

 of the drains. The subsoil drainage consists of 3-in. and 4-in. agricul- 

 tural drain-pipes placed from ^ to | of a chain apart, and discharging into 

 main drains of 'J-in., 12-in., 15-in., and 18-inch stoneware socket pipes, 

 which in turn discharge into the outfall channels. Koads generally 

 12 feet wide, with passing places at intervals, have been laid out with the 

 view of meeting the requirements of the steam cultivating operations as 

 well as for the conveyance of produce. In addition to the farm buildings 

 at Saltley, purchased frona the Corporation, farm buildings in a central 

 position at Tyburn have been erected, together with entrance lodge, 

 manager's house, and six labourers' cottages ; also smaller buildings at 

 Minworth and four labourers' cottages. The various farmhouses and 

 buildings originally existing have also been repaired and extended. 



The total cost of the land and works to the present has been 403,695?., 

 of which the purchase of original land and works is 170,544Z., new land 

 110,800/., new works 113,299Z., farming stock and implements for new 

 land 9,052L The details of cost are given iu Appendix B. 



The method of treating the sewage as now carried on is as follows : — 

 The sewage on ari-iving near the liming sheds at the upper end of the 

 works is mixed with lime, both to neutralise the acids (present to an 

 unusual extent in Birmingham sewage) and also to assist precipitation, 

 which, however, is not now necessary to so great an extent as formerly ; 

 the sewage then passes through the large or roughing tanks, where the 

 grosser impurities are precipitated, and thence it is conveyed by the 

 main conduit to the land and disposed of by ordinary imgation. The 

 sixteen small tanks required at one time for completing the precipitation 

 process are still used under certain circumstances, and are a valuable 

 auxiliary when rainfall has increased the normal quantity of sewage. 

 The sludge from the tanks is elevated by bucket dredgers and pumps 

 into movable wooden carriers, and flows into beds formed in the land at 

 the Saltley or western end of the farm. The sludge contains about 

 90 per cent, of water as it comes from the tanks, but after lying on the 

 ground for about fourteen days much of this water drains away or is 

 evaporated, leaving the sludge in a layer about 10 inches thick and of a 

 consistency that admits of its being trenched into the land. Crops are 

 then planted, and after a time the sludge becomes pulverised and capable 

 of bsing irrigated. About forty acres of land were required for the 



