Utilisatimi of Toim Seivage. 
87 
present there are no advocates for the manufacture of a solid 
manure from dilute town sewage. The controversy now lies 
between those who would distribute it in small quantities over 
enormous areas, and apply it to all crops, and those who would 
employ it in large quantities over comparatively small areas, 
and confine its application almost exclusively to succulent crops. 
As already refened to, the " Select Committee on the 
Sewage of Towns" in their " Analysis of Evidence" give it as 
their opinion " that sewage is applicable to all crops, and that if 
commercial results are sought for, it should be applied in small 
dressings." I have very carefully considered the evidence given 
before that Committee, and I must confess that neither can I. 
endorse the opinion just quoted, nor do I think there are many 
acquainted with agriculture who will think it borne out by the 
evidence when thev have themselves perused it. , 
I have not the slightest doubt that any attempt to apply the 
sewage of London in its present average state of dilution, or that 
of anv other town similarly diluted, to crops generally, and in 
quantities of a few hundred tons per acre, will result either in 
great pecuniary loss to those who invest their capital in supplying 
the sewage, or in signal failure, and perhaps pecuniary loss also, 
to those who, like Mr. Campbell, Mr. Congreve, and Mr. Mullins, 
the Rugby tenants, may purchase it for distribution in the manner 
proposed. 
On the average, one ton of the sewage of London or Rugby 
contains only from 2 to 3 lbs. of solid matter, of which only 
about half, or less, will consist of the valuable constituents of 
human excrements ; and with the progress of sanitary arrange- 
ments as at present generally carried out, the dilution appears to 
be daily increasing. It will be quite obvious, at any rate to 
most agriculturists, that the fact of having to bring upon the 
land such an enormous quantity of water in order to supply 
such a small amount of manurial matter, must materially 
affect the applicability of such manure to land under tillage, 
the cost at which a given amount of constituents can be brought 
on to the land, and their productive value when there. In 
, fact, it is clearly quite fallacious to assume the general applica- 
bility to all crops, of manure so diluted, from any considera- 
tions as to the applicability of the same constituents in the undi- 
luted form. 
The agriculturist would, indeed, only be justified in con- 
tracting lor a supply of town sewage at a price far below the 
estimates of those who propose to deliver it to him ; and, taking 
into consideration not only the great, but the varying, and 
perhaps increasing dilution of sewage, the question of the com- 
position as well as the amount of the sewage supplied, must form 
