438 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 13, 1890. 
SEWAGE. 
To the very natural inquiry, What have the managers of home 
farms to do with sewage ? we answer that many a home farm 
might derive much benefit from the homestead drainage, as well as 
from that of the landlord’s house. The matter is very simple, and 
is thus managed :—Construct cisterns at farm and mansion in such 
a position that no offensive odours can reach any part of the 
premises or the approaches to them. Procure a couple of pumps 
from the Bon Accord Works, Aberdeen, which cost from 30s. to 
60s., the latter being a 3-inch pump admirably adapted to the work, 
and distribute the sewage of both places over any of the grass land. 
Do this persistently, and you will have ample reason to thank us 
for the hint. Or try the sewage upon Rye Grass or Maize, and 
realise something of the marvellous crops obtained by this means at 
the Croydon sewage farm. Every application of the sewage must 
be a thorough soaking, and not a mere surface wetting, for most 
sewage is so much diluted with water that its fertilising powers are 
low, and it is only by a liberal use of it that real good is done to 
the crops upon which it is used. 
Sewage contains all the essential elements of plant food, and 
therefore we have only to use enough of it to ensure good results. 
It is most suitable for growing crops, and at this season of the year 
its use is confined to old pastures where it is certain to be turned to 
good account, and our especial motive in calling attention to its 
value now is that advantage may be taken of this quiet period of 
•the year to make provision for its storage and accumulation for 
another season. Where works exist for the precipitation of sewage 
the sludge may of course be carted upon the land as it can be had, 
fusing 8 or 10 tons cf it upon the space of land for which a hundred¬ 
weight of pure nitrogenous and mineral manure is sufficient. Let 
any companies which may be formed for the sale of precipitated 
sewage in any form remember this, and they will find that until a 
method is discovered to concentrate the fertiliser very much more 
than has been done in any of the samples sent to us for trial it 
will not answer to send it any distance by rail. 
That the present waste of the sewage of most large towns is a 
shame and scandal there can be no doubt, and the Board of Aori- 
culture would, indeed, be doing good work in trying to grapple 
with this evil. If it requires precedent and data upon which to 
base action it need not be at a loss. In this country Croydon has 
shown fully what can be done with the sewage of a large town, 
and its example has been followed by a few other towns. But 
London, with its 150 million gallons flowing daily into the Thames 
at Barking and Crossness, is content to continue the pollution of 
4he Thames, while the poor land in Essex has fallen so much in, 
value that plenty of it has been on sale at £10 and £12 per acre. 
In every discussion of this enormous waste of a valuable fertiliser 
some part of this land is pointed out as in a most suitable position 
for taking the London sewage. A trial farm has been suggested 
but we submit that it would prove a mere waste of time when the 
thing is an accomplished fact. Berlin, with its sewage farms of 
10,000 acres in extent, affords a striking example of what is pos 
•sible on a large scale in this direction. There are 2000 hands con¬ 
stantly employed upon the sewage land, and the crops are highly 
satisfactory. There is a movement in France in the same wise 
■direction, which at present is confined to a more limited area. Its 
■extension is certain among so thrifty a people as the French, for 
the fact is before them of the land at Gennevilliers under sewage 
yielding crops worth from £60 to £160 per acre. It would, of 
course, be a gigantic business to turn the London sewage to account 
then probably be utilised partly as sludge and partly in its crude 
state where the land is suitable for it. 
The quantity of sludge we mention as requisite to produce full 
crops should be taken as a guide to price. So far as our experi¬ 
ence goes the price asked hitherto for precipitated sewage has been 
altogether prohibitive to farmers at a distance from tlie works. 
Those who have ventured to purchase some, and have sent samples 
for analysis to Dr. Voelcker, have been told that its fertilising 
power was so low that it could only answer for use upon farms to 
which it could be carted direct, and not when sent to a distance by 
rail. The only really profitable use of sewage up to the present 
time has been as we have explained, and upon sewage farms by 
irrigation. At a recent conference on this subject, held at 
St. James’s Hall, Colonel Jones of Wrexham told how he had 
half a million gallons of sewage flowing on his farm of 19 acres 
night and day, and it was so profitable that he was able to pay a 
rent, inclusive of taxes and tithes, of £5 an acre. This farm gained 
a prize of £100 in 1879 as the best sewage farm, and the trial of 
sewage irrigation upon it has been long and thorough. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Now that the land cleaning and corn sowing is pretty well over> 
many of the farming implements are being laid aside for some time- 
Preparatory to this they should be thoroughly overhauled, cleaned, oiled, 
and painted, and all necessary repairs dene. Duplicate parts in stock 
should be looked up, and a thorough stock-taking gone through and 
checked off upon the inventory. It is a good rule always to have repairs 
done at this season of the year, so as to have the tools in readiness for 
use when the busy time come round again ; not only is this ensured and 
much time saved when it is most valuable, but everything is kept in 
good order and premature decay prevented. 
Since writing our last work note we have been over a large home farm 
in Northamptonshire, where we found the store cattle still out upon the 
pastures. Feed was plentiful enough, and the cattle were lusty and 
thriving, and we could not but deplore the total absence of shelter of 
any sort for them. Exposure to cold and wet always causes a falling 
off in condition, and often brings disease among cattle. Really, to see 
valuable beasts left out in the open in all weather, one would suppose 
the owner had never heard of bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy 
among cattle, or abortion among cows. In Leicestershire, where cattle 
are so much exposed, losses from hoose, or catarrh, are common, 
especially among young stock. It must be owned, too, that there are 
losses from the same cause among cattle in yards, especially where they 
are much crowded. Hardly ever are the younger or weak beasts allowed 
to eat their food in peace, for they are driven by the stronger ones out 
of the lodges, and away from the racks, till they become so reduced by 
cold, wet, and hunger as to become easy victims to hoose, all which 
might be avoided by an adequate provision of shelter and a careful 
separation of the beasts. 
Another important point requiring special attention now is the daily 
clearance of all foul litter from every shed and lodge. See to this, and 
that the animals always have a comfortable bed of fresh dry litter upon 
a clean hard floor. Foul bedding and close overheated cowhouses are 
both causes of disease. Wholesome food, pure air and water, plenty of 
fresh litter, with shelter from rain and cold cutting winds, are the 
essentials now, and with careful supervision they go far to insure im¬ 
munity from disease, and the maintenance of that lusty condition, 
without which early maturity and profitable results cannot be had. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAY. 
3 
1890. 
November. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32® 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
sou at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperatu e. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
Ia 
san. 
Oa 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In 
Sunday . 
9 
29.230 
5E9 
53.8 
S.W. 
47.0 
54.9 
42.2 
73.8 
35.3 
0 041 
Monday. 
3 
29.679 
41.0 
33.9 
S.w. 
48.9 
49.9 
37.6 
64.6 
3».4 
0.082 
Tuesday .... 
4 
29.299 
43.4 
44.6 
S.W. 
41.2 
52.« 
41.1 
80.4 
37.9 
0.09/ 
Wednesday.. 
5 
29.539 
41.8 
40.8 
N. 
45.0 
5'».4 
40.3 
8'».7 
31.6 
Thursday.... 
6 
29.823 
88.3 
33.0 
S.W. 
4l3 
50.3 
35.5 
68.1 
5 8.4 
0.333 
Eridav . 
7 
29.148 
47.6 
43.2 
S.W. 
4’>.0 
50.3 
37.9 
64.6 
35.0 
U. 11 •> 
Saturday .... 
8 
29.651 
38.9 
87.3 
w. 
44.9 
52.4 
36.1 
75.1 
29.4 
0.050 
29.481 
41.0 
42.3 
45.9 
51.5 
38.7 
72.5 
32.7 
0.738 
REMARKS. . 
2nd.-Wet from 6 A M to HAM, and a shower at 2 P M ; the afternoon genera’ y fine, 
with some sunshine. . 
3rd.—Rrllliant early ; generally overcast after in A M ; rain in the evening. 
4th.—Cloudy early; bright sunshine irom lu A M. to sunset; spots of rain about 5PM; 
fair night. 
«th.—Wet from 1 A M. to 5 A.M.; almost cloudless from 9 A M. 
6th. Slightlv foggv early ; sunshine all day ; gale and rain in evening and night. 
7th.—Overcast and squally in morning ; gale, with showers, in afternoon ; wet evening. 
8 ;h.-Brilliant early ; a little fog in morning ; bright from 11 A.M. to sunset. 
Cloudy, with occasional bright sun; frequent rain, chiefly at night; tempeature 
near the averaie.—O. J. SYMONS. 
