36 
THlii jVlAOAiClNB 
OF 
TP)G nWOL OF AGRIOULTURG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added as ^ Supplement montJdi/ to the “ TliOPICAL AORICTJLTURIST," 
The following pages include the contents of the Magazine of the School of 
Agriculture for October ; — 
the congress ox sewage-utilizawon. 
NOEtR the presuleucy of H. R. 11. 
the Prince of Wales, the Seventh 
Congress of Hygiene and Denio- 
grapliy held its meetings last 
week in hondoii. Tlie attendance 
•a reported ns being lai'ger tluin on any previous 
Occasion, and the foi’eigii delegates considor- 
'^kly exceeded 2,0tX>. The sidijects of Hygiene and 
the prevention of diseases in man and animals were 
dealt w'ith under 10 differont sections, anil a new' 
department was iuaugiirateil for the considera- 
tion of diseases communieiihle from the lower 
•■lumals to man and eke verf/r. In the several 
departments many instructive jiapors 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- 
cu.ssion. 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 priict ical research of numerous 
trained and earnest workers who are elucidat- 
ing the problems of life, and are applying the 
information acquired to the beneftt of humanity. 
Erom the incomplete reports of the work of 
the Congress which have reached us, we are 
tiot in ft position to fully review those sections 
■"'Inch must have a iirncticnl interest to acri- 
C'dtnrists. 
Hr. Carpenter contributed two papers on sew- 
®ge, anfi insisted that it was the duty of local 
authorities to utilize the sewage of towns, even 
although the proce.ss might not prove a eom- 
Wcrcial (juccess. General testimony was borne * 
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 ns long ns sewage wa.s 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 imjiroved health of Croydon 
and other placo.s .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 gunarallty 
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 communicate.s no injurious pro- 
perties to plants if intelligently supplied. We have 
witnessed sewage farming about Edinburgh, Lon- 
don, J’aris and in Yorkshire, and experienceil 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. 
Hut there 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 
tliau a loss resulting from tliis latter process, for 
whiletlie cost of manure-making will not be much 
more than the cost of removing the sewage and 
otlier refuse matter to distant place.s, tliere 
ought to be a good sale of the manure and a 
fair income resulting. There is at least one 
Jfunicipal town in Ceylon where sewage, blood 
and other refu.se substances are made up into 
a eompo.st and left for the time nece.ssary to 
transform it into a I'liluable and by no mean.s very 
disagreeable manure ; and it is desirable tliat Co- 
lombo should follow' the lead of the town aliove 
referred to, and appoint one of the minor officers 
