Sewage Farm Competition, 1879. 
15 
About 300 tons of dry sludge is annually removed from 
the tanks. What is not disposed of for making artificial 
manure is used directly upon some portions of the land, or is 
sold to neighbouring farmers. 
The land for the most part is of a light sandy character, con- 
taining peat or vegetable matter, upon a subsoil of gravel and 
sand. Experiments made with the soil show that a sample 
taken from Stanstey Meadow absorbed 57 per cent, of its 
weight of water, and a sample taken from the market-garden 
land absorbed as much as 70 per cent, of its weight of water. 
The absorbent character of these soils is due to the large amount 
of organic matter present in them. 
About four acres of the farm have been under-drained with 
6-inch and 8-inch pipes, six feet deep and forty yards apart. 
Isolated drains, constructed with 3, 4, and 6-inch pipes, have 
been laid in wet places on the farm, where required, at a depth 
of 3 feet 6 inches. There is very little surface effluent flowing 
off the farm. The under-drains, however, were flowing freely 
at the time of our inspections, the effluent from these under- 
drains being clear and apparently very pure. 
The amount of capital expended by Colonel Jones in pre- 
paring the land for the reception of the sewage has been as 
follows : — 
£ s. d. 
Buildings 160 12 3 
Drainage 122 9 4 
Sewage carriers 181 6 5 
Preparing land for sewage 280 5 5 
Koads and fencing 190 16 0 
Total first cost £935 9 5 
Amount of Capital paid off : — 
1874 £16 14 1 
1875 23 19 0 
1876 27 10 0 
1877 35 0 0 
1878 40 0 0 
143 3 1 
Present charge against farm .. .. £792 6 4 
Previous to Colonel Jones taking the farm, something like 400Z. 
had been expended in preparing the land, the principal work 
having been the formation of a pipe-carrier for the conveyance 
of the sewage, which Colonel Jones informed us he had to 
take up and relay, and the sum of 700Z. had been expended in 
the construction of settling-tanks. 
The following statements give the balance-sheets of the 
working of this farm for the last three years : — 
