December, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



491 



it needs further treatment. From time to 

 time the water is all drained off from first 

 one vat and then another, and the wet sedi- 

 ment on the bottom is pumped out. The 

 water is evaporated by the sun and the 

 dried "sludge" is carted off. 



The farmers and gardeners of the vi- 

 cinity are only too glad to make use of this 

 by-product for fertilizing their land. For 

 several reasons this product is not so valu- 

 able as one would suppose. In the first 

 place, human waste does not contain so 

 much material needed by plants as does 

 that of animals. Then the chemical treat- 

 ment impairs it somewhat, but those who 

 use it mix the sludge with other forms of 

 manure and find it extremely valuable. 

 These gardeners have demonstrated that it 

 transforms the miserable peat soil of that 

 region, that was originally almost impos- 

 sible to work, into remarkably productive 

 gardens. The same results have been ex- 

 perienced in other places, and the universal 

 testimony has been that the demand greatly 

 exceeds the supply. Some day it may be 

 possible to derive considerable income from 

 these products. 



Then we went over to the "dump" and 

 walked all over the place where two years 

 ago, before the neighbors used this sludge, 

 it had been spread out upon the ground. 

 Left to itself for a few months, nature 

 quickly reclaimed it with a carpet of grass 

 and wild flowers, and surrounded by beau- 

 tiful willow trees it was quite an attractive 

 spot, with not a suggestion of odor nor 

 any kind of unpleasantness. 



The grounds are inclosed by a great wall 

 of evergreens and deciduous trees and 

 shrubs. Beds and jars of flowering plants 

 have been tastily placed here and there, 

 giving to the visitor the pleasing sensation 

 of an up-to-date park. 



Although in its fifteen years of success 

 it has proven its efficiency, the history of 

 this establishment, like that of many an- 

 other public benefit, has been one of patient 

 overcoming of blind prejudice. It was 

 1888 before the little town realized that it 

 needed sewers. Some of the more enter- 

 prising of its citizens then took the matter 

 into their own hands, determined to lay a 

 solid foundation for this system so that it 

 should not become contaminated by politics. 

 As a result a Citizens' Committee suc- 

 ceeded in getting the Legislature to pass a 

 special act appointing a commission, and 

 seven commissioners were straightway 

 elected. The topography of the region is 

 so peculiar that it was with considerable 

 difficulty that a plan was decided upon. 

 This was to treat the sewage with chemicals 

 and pipe the affluent out into the Sound. On 

 account of blind sentiment and prejudice, 

 it is always difficult to get a place in any 

 settled community where the citizens will 

 be willing to permit the erection of such 

 a plant. "We were," a commissioner told 

 me, "the most abused persons in the com- 

 munity. How we did catch it!" 



The dump 



The grounds are inclosed by walls of evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs 



The dumping ground proved rather attractive 



