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as manure for gardens, &c. The pits are situated between Mr. Lawrences
house and the cemetery, and are distant from the former about 300 , yards.
The Sub-Committee are of opinion, as there seems an objection to the storage
of the unsold rubbish in these pits, that it should, in future, be carted out,
as recommended by the Sanitary Commissioners, to the . manure-yard. The
second point is more difficult to treat with. The Cantonment. Magistrate
tried as an experiment,, and with a view of turning the dry rubbish to ac-
count " when it was not purchased by kumbhars," to store it with the filth, by
placing a layer of rubbish mixed with black soil over the filth, daily. After a1-
lowing it time to decompose,. he endeavoured to sell it by auction, but no offers,
were made. This shows that the owners of the fields adjacent to the manure-
pits do not appreciate the value of manure, or else they are not in a position to
purchase it. To carry out the plan suggested by the Sanitary Conamissioner,
fields would either have to be rented or purchased, or else the ground about the
present filth-pits would have to be cleared of the trees now growing upon it.
There are objections to both. But treating with the system of digging trenches of,
say, 150 yards in length, 1 foot deep, and 2 feet in breadth,. it must be remem-
be r e d t ha t f or 4½ mont hs , out of t he ye a r t he r e woul d be s ome di f f i c ul t y i n t he
tank-carts making way over-the black soil.. Then, again,. a field once manured, and,
placed under cultivation, could not be used again for two or three years, as the
soil, if manured yearly, would be too strong; and in all probability would burn.
the roots of the young crops : so, to carry Doctor Hewlett's proposal out, a large
area of land would be required, and it is not thought that in a pecuniary sense
it would answer.. The other objection is, that it would be a pity to destroy the
babul grove, the trees now being about 7 or 8 years old, and the profit arising
from the sale of the wood for purposes of fuel would, in a few more years, be
greater than that obtained from the sale of manure.. The present system of
having deep pits dug, 50 yards in length, 6 feet in depth, and 4 feet in width—
although it may not appear a profitable one—answers the purpose for which it
is required, namely, as a store for night-soil ; and as it is very carefully covered
and protected, no complaints on sanitary grounds can be raised. The Sub-Com-
mittee, therefore, think the Sanitary Commissioner will agree-with them ' that the
system he proposes cannot be carried out profitably, at Ahmednagar, on any
large scale.-
The well in the Cantonment hospital is generally very clean, as the water
is used for irrigating the orange trees in the compound. It will be more
closely inspected in future..
The general improvements are as follows :—
1.Covering all reservoirs from which drinking-water is procured.
2. Paving road-side gutters throughout the Suddur Bazaar with open,
segmental, U-shaped drains, or conveying bath-water from the bazaar by
means of a. tank-cart.
The Sub-Committee are of opinion that the present reservoirs will not stand
any alteration being made to them ; nor is any necessary, the water being inva-
riably pure and clean ; but, in the event, of the Sanitary Commissioner's proposal
being sanctioned, new reservoirs, of the design furnished by that Officer, might be
constructed at a large expense ;—not, however, with brass cocks, as such arrange-
ments are unsuited to the locality, and would hinder the drawing of ablution-
water.
Paving road-side gutters the Sub-Committee consider very desirable ; but, to
carry out the Sanitary Commissioner's proposal, the whole of the balance of the
funds would be swamped, as all , the . streets and lanes require them.