Sewage Farm Competition, 1879. 
27 
sewage, which has been taken on lease for the purpose of dis- 
posing of it. The town of Guisbrough is also supplied with 
water from waterworks established by Admiral Chaloner. About 
70,000 gallons of water per day are supplied from the water- 
works to the town, in addition to which there are a number of 
local wells. The sewers receive the surface-drainage and rain- 
fall of the district, including the drainage from the roads. 
The sewage is conveyed by gravitation on to the land. When 
the outfall sewer was originally constructed it was made to dis- 
charge into duplicate covered tanks, but a dam 18 inches high 
has been placed in the old 3-ft. by 2-ft. outfall sewer at a point 
above the tanks. From the covered tank there is an overflow 
into the contiguous brook. The new outfall sewer to the farm 
commences above the dam in the old outfall sewer, and the 
sewage is conveyed lower down the valley on to the land pre- 
pared for its reception. At a point at the head of the sewaged 
land there is an overflow into the brook. Both this overflow 
and the one at the old tanks were found to be acting at the time 
of our visit, on the 18th February, 1879. The sewer which con- 
veys the sewage on to the land is a 15-inch earthenware-pipe 
which, at a lower point on the land, bifurcates into 12-inch 
pipes. These pipes form the main carriers, and are laid in 
embankments, from which 6-inch branch drains distribute the 
sewage on to the land. These branch drain-outlets are placed 
at distances of about 11 yards apart along the main carriers. 
The sewage is distributed over the surface of the land in earth- 
cut carriers, which are formed from time to time to suit the 
nature of the crop or the land to be treated. The whole of 
the land is under-drained. The main drains are 8 inches and 
6 inches in diameter ; and the branches vary from 4 inches to 
3 inches in diameter, and are 5 feet 6 inches deep, clay jointed. 
The subsidiary drains are^ about 5 feet deep, all clay puddled at 
the joints, and are laid at distances of about 11 yards apart. In 
one or two places where spring-water was met with the drains 
were laid at 5 yards apart. 
The soil is an alluvial deposit, mostly clay, with a vein of 
gravel, and it cannot be regarded as favourable for the purpose 
of being used as a filter for sewage. The lighter soil contains 
vegetable or peaty matter. On an average of three experiments 
it was found to absorb 54-6 per cent, of its weight of water. An 
average of three experiments on a more loamy sample of soil 
showed that this description would absorb 49-3 per cent, of 
its weight of water. The colour of the soil is red, this colour 
being imparted by the presence of iron, and as there are tan- 
yards in Guisbrough, and the waste of the tan-yards finds its 
way into the sewage, the effect of the tan-water coming in con- 
