THE rVLAGAZlNlii: 
OF 
Tf)G mWOl OF AGRieULTURC, 
COLOMBO. 
ArW^c^ «s ^ Supplement monthJi/ to the TBOPIGAL AGRICULTURIST:' 
The following pages include the 
Agriculture for October : — 
THE CONGEESS ON SEWAGE-UTILIZATION- 
NDER the presidency of H. R. H. 
the Prince of Wales, the Seventh 
Congress of Hygiene and Demo- 
graphy held its meetings last 
week in London. The attendance 
is reported as being larger than on any previous 
occasion, and the foreign delegates consider- 
ably exceeded 2,000. The subjects of Hygiene and 
the prevention of diseases in man and animals were 
dealt with under 10 different sections, and a new 
department was inaugurated for the considera- 
tion of diseases communicable from the lower 
animals to man and vice versa. In the several 
departments many instructive papers were read, 
interesting not only to medical men and veteri- 
narians, but to all communities at large, while 
most of the papers called forth valuable dis- 
cussion. The varied nature of the business of 
the Congress testified to the rapid progress that 
is being made in so many departments of know- 
ledge, and to the practical research of numerous 
trained and earnest workers who are elucidat- 
ing the problems of life, and are applying the 
information acquired to the benefit of humanity. 
From the incomplete reports of the work of 
the Congress which have reached us, we are 
not in a position to fully review those sections 
which must have a practical interest to agri- 
Cultm'ists. 
Dr. Carpenter contributed two papers on sew- 
age, and insisted that it was the duty of local 
authorities to utilize the sewage of towns, even 
although tlie process might not prove a com- 
jnercial s^iccess, Geuernl testimony was borne ' 
contents of the Magazine of the School of 
to the value of sewage-grown forage, especially 
for dairy cows, and of sewage-raised vegetables 
and fruit as human food ; and it was shown 
that as long as sewage was properly supplied, 
it communicates no injurious qualities to grow- 
ing plants, nor does it prove a nuisance to those 
residing in the neighbourhood ; indeed, evidence 
was adduced of the improved health of Croydon 
and other places since sewage had been 
applied to the fertilising of adjacent lands. 
We have before this referred to the desirability 
of utilizing the sewage of towns in Ceylon for 
agricultural purposes. It will, we admit, take 
time to overcome the objection of the generality 
of people to fresh sewage matter being brought 
in contact with vegetation intended for food, how- 
ever much distinguished men like Dr. Carpenter 
may aver that it communicates no injurious pro- 
perties to plants if intelligently supplied. We have 
witnessed sewage farming about Edinburgh, Lon- 
don, Paris and in Yorkshire, and experienced very 
little discomfort in walking through the irri- 
gated fields. It will of course be said that the 
heat of the East will, by more quickly decom- 
posing, give more foulness to the sewage matter. 
But thei'e is another method of utilizing sew- 
age besides sewage-irrigation, and that is 
the conversion of it into poudrette. Accord- 
ing to Dr. Carpenter, it is the duty of Muni- 
cipal bodies to utilize sewage matter even if 
the process results in financial loss. It is more 
likely that in many cases there will be profit rather 
than a loss resulting from this latter process, for 
whilethecost of manure-making will not be much 
more than the cost of removing the sewage and 
other refuse matter to distant places, there 
ought to be a good sale of the manure and a 
fair income resulting. There is at least one 
Miuiicipal town in Ceylon where sewage, blood 
and other refuse substances are made up into 
a compost and left for the time necessary to 
transform it into a v aluable and by no means very 
disagreeable manure ; and it is desirable that Co- 
lombo should follow the lead of the town above 
referred to, and appoint one of the minor officers 
