The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-22 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN SEWAGE MA-

_
NURE COMPANY.
The works of this company at Stanley-bridge, Fulham,
arc now completed, and are well worth a visit from all who
are interested in the progress of agriculture. The com-
pany, it will be remembered, was incorporated by Act
of Parliament, for the purpose of conveying the contents
of the London sewers in a liquid form into the country,
and distributing them over the fields and gardens which
surround the metropolis at a trifling cost. The mecha-
nical means by which these objects are effected are very
nearly the same as tho-e by which water is carried
into all our large cities, reservoirs being iormcd
for the reception of the sewage, an engine being
constructed to pump up as much of it as may be re-
quired, and pipes being laid down from the works into
the districts where this species of manure is likely to be
in demand. The plan has been already tried, it appears,
with great success near Glasgow and Manchester, but of
course on a small scale compared with the operations con-
templated by this company. They have already laid
down about nine miles of pipes in the parish of Fulham,
and thence they intend extending them without loss of
time into the district of Isleworth. The estimates of
profit formed by theta show that they calculate on sup-
plying sewage to 30,000 acres of land, and that farmers,
market gardeners, and landowners, cultivating about
68,000 acres, have, by petition to Parliament,
expressed their interest in the success of the experiment.
This reveals the extent of the scheme in which the com-
pany have embarked, and its great importance to the in-
ohmitehe of
f-to the
hgadrea to es
eo
in-
terests of agriculture, not only in the neighbourhood
tohfrteghmoeutrtitphoelicsouanntdr3. Some
large towns, but generally
the scarcity of manure, its inferior quality, and the im-
mense expense incurred in its purchase and transport.
The Metropolitan Sewage Manure Company
relieve the cultivators of the soil in the neighbourhood pro
po
tcto dnitfi lcdultes are s
ie
with which farmers have
to
London from this heavy burden, and if they succeed, they
will have conferred an inestimable boon upon the agricul-
tural interest, besides turning to good account the sewage
which now contaminates the water of the Thames and
poisons the atmosphere around it. As to the value of
sewage manure in enriching the soil, and greatly in-
creasing its productive powers, there now remains
among the more enlightened class of farmers no possible
doubt. Its chemical properties have been analysed, and
have been found to comprise in a highly concentrated
form all that is best adapted for making the earth
yield her increase. Its application to grass lands and
green crops especially has been attended with very
surprising results; and from the body of evidence
collected on the subject, it is quite clear that
if the company are successful in the means for placing
it at the disposal of the market-gardeners and farmers
around London, they will give an immense impulse to
the productiveness of the soil thus manured. The com-
pany are now about to commence operations, and we
shall watch with interest the result of their first experi-
ments. They will find an immense mass of ignorance
and prejudice to contend with among those whose
interests they seek to promote, and some time may
elapse before the enlightened views which actuate
them are duly appreciated, but it is impossible that
the existing state of things around London can
long continue, or that men will persevere in watering
their crops at au expense each time of from 21. to 51. an
acre, when the same can bo done far snore effectually with
liquid manure, applied to the land by the hose at a cost
of is. an acre. On Wednesday last some very interest-
ing experiments were made at Stanley bridge, with several
new inventions for the economic and efficient distribu-
tion of the sewage on the soil. These experiments
were completely successful, and gave great satisfaction
to a large and bighly• respectable company of gentle-
men asst mbled on the occasion.
result went to show the perfect
the sewage can be taken from the main and applied to
ease T whei t h g e
whichne ral
patent irrigator, which was one t the implements exhi-
-Morntn
the land in any quantity for this ,purpose. Mr. Co ode's
bited, excited much admiratiol • g Paper.

EXPORTS OF WOOLLEN AND COTTON GOODS:A
return movrd fur by Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart, M.P.,
for Marylebone, shows that the declared value of the
woollen and cotton goods exported from the United
Kingdom to Turkey was—
In 1843
In 1841
In 1845 „„ 1,941,858
The exports to Russia amountea—
In 1843 to 1,379,928 In 1846 to 1,080,423
In 1844 to 1,546,226 In 1847 to 1,048,634
In 1845 to
CORPORATION FOR THE RELIEF OF MERCHANT
SEAMEN.—On Tuesday a quarterly Court of the Corpo-
ration for the Relief of Merchant Seamen, their
widows and children, was heldat the office in Birchin-
lane, George Lindsay, Esq., presiding.
The accounts
to the 31st of December last were read and approved.
The total ieceipts for the year 1848 were 24,7431. Bs. 110.,
10,7291. of which was derived from duty charged on
vessels entering the port of London, and 6,8161. 13s. 9d.
from duty charged on out-port vessels. The corpora-
tion sold 4,0001. South Sea Annuities in the course of
the year. The total payments amounted to 23,84 01.
Bs. 5d., and composed—pensions to London pensionei's,
12,8811. ; to out-port pensioners, 5,661/. 19s. 9d. e
charges of management
~.amounted to about 2,4001.
There was a balance of 1,7 15/. 18s. 7d. in hand. The
pensioners on the books, on the 31st of December last,
cre—London: men, 1,414; widows, 2,041 ; children,
1,480. Out ports, 49.8 ; widosss, 954; children, 4,089.
The Court then adjourned,
and a committee imme-
diately proceeded to take into consideration upwards of
sixty applications for pensions and relief.
SPECIE.—The vessel', erozepore, arrived on Mon-
day from Canton and Ilong Kong, has brought from the
latter place 22 boxes of treasure, coobit.:ncd to order.
The vessel Pseket, arrived also on Monday, from the
Cape of Good Bcpe, brought ono box of specie, co-
signed to a party iu the metropolis.