Sewage- Farming, 
40LI 
liquid manure, the skilful cultivator need not despair of obtain- 
in<r at least such a result. Eut it may be questioned whether in 
all cases it is advisable to rely wholly upon sewafje for the 
raang;old crop ; a dressing of phosphatic manure, followed by 
irrigation later in the season, mi^jht yield results superior to 
those obtained by the operation of the latter manure alone. The 
irrijjation of the plant early in the season may do quite as much 
harm as good. It is possible to starve a plant as Avell as to feed 
it by the use of large quantities of liquid in cold weather. On 
rich and heavily manured land, the agriculturist well knows that 
hardly anv amount of drought and heat affects the mangold crop, 
provided the plant is fully established and the land deeply sub- 
soiled : the magnificent crops obtained in 18G8 and 1870 attest 
this. Could the cultivator of this description of land rely upon 
some of the advantages possessed by the sewage irrigator, it is 
probable that he would more than vie with him in the abundance 
of his produce ; but no //^/^/-/attt? cultivator can hope to approach 
without sewage the production of him who has it at command. 
Stifjar-heet has lately received some attention in this department 
of agriculture ; but it is to be feared, from the experimental crops 
at present tested, that a deficiency of saccharine matter exists in 
roots grown under sewage. If, however, further experience 
should suggest the means of overcoming this difficulty, the im- 
portance of this crop could hardly be exaggerated, as large yields 
could with certainty be secured ; and the success of beetroot- 
sugar manufacture in this country is no longer a matter of con- 
jecture. 
Cabbage. — The well-known greediness of the Brassica tribe for 
rich ammoniacal manures and deep cultivation sufficiently ex- 
plains the great success of this crop under sewage. Immense prices 
have been obtained during the past few years for such varieties as 
meet the wants of the market; and in 1870, — a season when few 
ordinary gardeners could show a plant of this valuable vegetable — 
sewage-farmers realized in some cases not less than 70Z. per acre 
for their produce. At Barking a crop of Collards, which had 
occupied the ground but three months, fetched 73/. per acre, 
and similar instances are not wanting. Moreover, the succulence 
and tenderness of sewag-e-g-rown cabbage is well known. "Joost 
lik' a bit o' marrow," was the character given of his cabbage by 
the bailiff of a well-known sewage-farm. Mr. Hope, at the 
Farmers' Club in 1870, mentioned a case which sufficiently 
illustrates the superiority of cabbage grown by this method to 
that produced in the ordinary maYiner : 600 dozen of this vege- 
table were sent to Covent Garden in one day, half of which were 
cultivated without and half with sewage. The 300 dozen of 
VOL. VII. — s. S. 2 E 
