108 Dry Earth System of Gonservanoy. 



moderate admixture of sand ; gases do not readily form in it, but 

 if the surface becomes moist, decomposition takes place on tbe 

 surface, which should be covered with dry earth as often as it 

 appears. The dry earth system is the best that could be devised 

 for a country where the temperature is always high ; the putre- 

 factive process in decaying organic matter rapid, and the water 

 supply scanty. Whenever the temperature of water rises above 

 60° Fahrenheit it ceases to absorb gases well, and becomes there- 

 fore a bad vehicle for the removal of organic matter in a state of 

 decomposition. Dr. Blackloek, who made most careful experi- 

 ments on this question at the General Hospital, at Madras, of 

 which he is a physician, states : — "In private I have tried almost 

 every obtainable deodoriser in close stools, but none have acted 

 so perfectly as dry, or even damp earth. All the chemical deo- 

 dorisers are objectionable, as although they put away the bad 

 odours at the moment of application, they soon permit decompo- 

 sition to commence again, and the new odour is often worst than 

 the first. The earth on the contrary not only at once effectually ar- 

 rests decomposition and its bad ordours, but also never allows 

 putrefaction to commence again till the mass is wetted. I con- 

 sider the dry earth system for latrines the greatest boon that has 

 ever been conferred on this hospital" Dr. Mouatt, Inspector- 

 General of Gaols, Lower Provinces, states' in a report to the 

 Government, " that the earth conservancy has been introduced 

 into all the gaols in Lower Bengal with complete success." Of 

 the utility of this poudrette for agricultural purposes, there is not 

 any doubt ; and it might be used for this purpose if well ploughed 

 or dug into the ground. In New York it is largely purchased 

 by market gardeners, and the proprietors of flower gardens prize 

 it highly. I therefore wish to draw your attention now to the 

 ready means for protection of the suburban districts of Sydney 

 from the evils they are, many of them, now exposed to ; and 

 should cholera arrive it will be too late, at the first visitation, to 

 prevent much mischief; but if this simple plan is carried out, I 

 believe the suburban districts, though undrained, would be better 

 protected than the city." 



To-day I received a note from a gentleman, which he allows me 

 to refer to, and it says, with reference to dry system of sewage — 

 " That he allows no other in his own premises. My whole gar- 

 den is not more than one-fifth of an acrea, and half rock and slope 

 and yet the whole refuse from the kitchen, bedrooms, and closet 

 is not enongh fully to manure one-tenth of it, showing what 

 every house immediately out of the main streets could get rid of 

 all its refuse by turning it into trees and flowers. I hope to see 

 the day when every hundred or two houses will be placed under 

 the care of a gardener, who will go daily and bring away the 

 refuse, and render cities flower instead fever beds. 



