Sewage Farm Competition, 187!). 
73 
The sewage of Reading is collected by intercepting sewers, 
and is conveyed to the pumping station placed in the lower 
portion of the town, upon the banks of the river Kennett, at 
a point where a weir crosses this river. Here the sewage is 
screened through an inclined grating fitted with a mechanical 
rake, which is occasionally worked by machinery, and it is 
then pumped on to the farm. At all ordinary times the water- 
power of the river Kennett is utilised for pumping the sewage. 
It drives three turbines, two of which are coupled together, 
and the remaining one is reserved for use when the head of 
water is low. The turbines work four single-acting force-pumps 
18 inches in diameter, the length of the stroke of the pumps 
being from time to time adjusted in proportion to the power 
available, the maximum length of stroke being 30 inches. 
When the river Kennett is in flood, and at other times when 
necessary, the sewage is lifted by steam-power. At the pumping- 
works there are a pair of horizontal high-pressure condensing 
steam-engines. Each engine has a steam cylinder 24 inches in 
diameter, and 42 inches length of stroke, and drives a pair of 
plunger pumps 30 inches in diameter and 36 inches stroke. 
The sewage is conveyed from the pumping-station to the farm, 
a distance of 2*43 miles, partly in a 24-inch cast-iron main 
2712 yards long, which discharges into a 3-feet brick culvert 
1571 yards long, the lift of the pumps to the farm being 43 
feet. At the pumping station there is a storm-water overflow 
which communicates with the river, and which comes into 
action when the sewers are surcharged. The sewage pumping- 
station, including the cost of a new set of sluices across the 
river Kennett, and the sum of 804Z. paid for the site, cost 
24,501/., and the delivery main and brick sewers in connection 
therewith have cost 12,329/. 17s. 5c/. The annual cost of 
pumping and of attention to the cleansing and flushing of the 
sewers, on an average of two years ending 31st of August, 1879, 
has been 731/. When the sewage arrives upon the farm it 
is distributed on the surface from earth-cut carriers, the main 
carriers in all cases being earthenware pipes laid below the 
surface of the land. 
The soil of that part of the farm already laid out for irrigation 
varies somewhat, being partly heavy and partly sandy loam. 
The subsoil is partly heavy clay, partly gravel, and partly peat. 
Experiments made with two samples of soil show that one 
sample of the soil absorbed 47-3 per cent, of its weight of 
water, and the other sample, being lighter soil, absorbed 30*4 
per cent, of its weight of water. The absorbent properties of 
the soil show that the land is of a porous description and well 
