The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

greater or lasi ixtent of decomposition,—the products of
which have escaped in houses and streets, to the pollution
of the air 'breathed-by the inhabitants, and to the loss of
fertiliSiug tunt,.tti-•>,bNow we have: ascertained ono impor-
tant fact, that the injurious and offensive stage of decompo-
sition only be4insilmwever, in about-four 'days, bet in the
towns drained on the new system of self-cleansing tubular
house' drains and tubular sewers,—when they are properly
laid and adjusiled to the flow,—there is no deposit, every -
thingis received in cold water which arrestadecornposition,
and is immediately received in water from beneath the
sites of houses in en entirely new condition before decors
po,ition can commence. Under ordinary circunestancee,
at Rugby ler example, where the sewer manure is applied
to one part or the other of the land during three hun-
dred d tye in the year, it is remote-I front beneath the site
of the town within an hour, and within another hour it
is in the soil, and is there, not merely in mechanical suspen-
sion, bat in cheinieal combination,—in which condition it.
is .
retained through, the winter rains, and snow;, and
froats -until it is taken out by the action of vegetation.
The report then 'read stated, that on the motion of Mr.
Dumas (the celebrated chemist and member of the insti-
tute), a sum of m'nev was voted by the mnnie'pality for
the execution of trial works for the application of dignified
town manure to the cultivation of various species of
plan's. The-manare was taken -from the " depetoir," a'
general receptacle of the contents Pf cesspools brought, by
carts, an 1 from that receptacle the greater part is con-
-toyed to an estabiishmeut in the Forest ef Bondy, where
it; is chiefly desiccated, anl made into 4, p,udrette," for
sale in'the soli I fern as manure. On; set or the new trial
works described in. the 7-e pee, oonsiated in the distribntion
of liquified manure to 36 of the adjacent farmer', to whom
water-earts were lent for its application to their land, nt
their.crops, in the Flemish meihod. Another portion of
the trial works consisted in the distribution Of the sewer,
or cesspool, manure by means of subterranean pipes and'
the jet, in the new English mellb.ral in use for sowerage'at
Rogby; at Watford, and at Rushholme, near Manchester,
and at Mr. Mechi's, and various farms. A third set of
tri,ls consisted in. a systematic application of the sewer
manure to the chief species of commercial plaets, in spaces
of ground in which one equal portion cf each opecips was
irrigated, and one was left, for comparison, undressed. In
respect to the trials by the farmers, the reporters st ite
that the quantity distributed was 6,0.00 cubic metres, equal
to 7,818 cubic yards, Eeplish.
The results on the chief species of culture by the far-
mers, appears from the tables to have been all in various

, .
rates of inerelse over the calture in the old form by,
stable manure ; thus wheat, lowest 25,per cent. of in•
crease, highest 33—ivera,zo inlresse. 30 ; oars, lowest 20,
highest 25—average 2? ; barley, tri,cl only in one farm,

38-per cent. of increase; turnips, lowest-W. per cent.,
highest 50, average 44 ; potatoes, 10, highest 50—aveiage
21; beet-root, lowest 16, highest 50—average 26. .
The produce on the earthwork of the fortifications was,
in the ordinary cultivation, at the rate of .803 kilos., or
2 tons 15 cwt. 31h. of hay per hectare; watered with 100
cubic metres or Ina Is of liquified manure, it was 4,950, or
about 4 toni 17 cwt. 1 qr. 211 b.; with 200 loads cubic
metres, it was 7,100, about 7 tons; with 210 cubic metres,
8,9i0, 8 tons 1 i cwt. 1 qr. 151 b. ; with 350, it was 11,300,

- - -
or 11 tons 2 cwt. 1 qr. 221 h; with 400. it was 12,510, or 12
tons 6 cwt. Sib. ; with 500, it was 12,800, or 15 tins 11

cwt., or in the highest result the produce stands at 12,800
kilos., or 12 tons 11 cwt. per hectacre, that is, a little over
5 tens per statute acre.
The commissioners state, in conclusion :--Our different
experiments have had bat one an 1 the same object,
viz., to introduce in the neighbourhood of Paris amongst
the farmers the use of the valuable town manure, which
is as rich as farm manure, and yet has been hitherto ne-
glected owing to the prejudices against it.
With the view to this, we have engaged a certain num-
ber of farmers to try, according to the Flemish method,
(that is, df the distribution of sewer m mare by the water
carts) some experiments, which we made as easy and in-
expensive as possible. We have changel the meagre grass
of the fortifications into rich herbage. We have applied
this rnannra t.) almost all the plaits of commerce, and to
market-culture. We have applied it on the now English
method, which is a linirably adapted to the distribution of

town manure, not only becauseit is speciaLy for liquid
manure, but also, and above all, because it deprives the
distribution of all that is repuisi7e and embarrassing.
Moreover, we have demonstrate 1, even to the most incre-

dulous, that the fodder obtained from this manure did not
partake of the flavour or smell of the drssing, and that the
milk, Sze., was of excellent quality.
Has the expenditure so liberally granted by the City
given any adequate return ?
In an econ unical point of view our experiments have
been of little value. It is not in making additions of
material to the material culture in trying new metht-ds
of application in making suoh experiments that one can
realise the advantages or establish the price of the returns.
Moreover, the comparative results at the depot have been

singularly disturb3d by two circamstances, viz.. the small-
ness of the squares of ground allotted to the experiment,
and the ammoniacal atmosphera,in the midst of which the
plants lire!. A space of four metres square was not suffi-

ciently large.to prevent a portion of the aressing from going
upon the square that was not intended to he subjected to
the manure. At the same time those plants wl}ose ariel
respiration is much developed, might derive good from the
vapours brought by the wind from the a ljacent receptacles
which might render the dressing almost useless. A true
comparison, however, sties as will' give exact differential

returns, and also the positive price of the returns, the ex-
ample in fact, which alone will attract numerous followers,

can only be found in the real business-like carrying on of a
farm. This opinion is not ours only, it is the opinion of those
practical men whohave taken a deep interest in our experi-
ments. Nevertheless, essential facts and useful suggestions
have been d3l i ve,l from these trial works We have shown

that the manure would be us?.cl immediately if it could be
conveyed conveniently by conduits, boats, or wagons to
where it was required, and the mode of using it where ex-
plained. We have resolved also several essential oints on
the subject as to the time, the amount of manure and the
tv
proportion of water required in the irrigation. e have
shown also a not less important question to what, crop the
sewer manurs is most applicable. We have foil the first
time established in France a specimen of the new' method
of liquid manuring by subterranean pipes. We have de-
monstrated, thanks to this method, and to the m nure of
sewers, that 300 hectares of the meagre grass of the fortifi-
cations can be transformed into a rich herbage, calpable of
nourishing 1,000 milk cows. We. have proved ;that the
process of vegitation changes so completely this lianure,
that no odour or flavour from it is imparted to the plants.
If our experiments have yet left it doubtful if thii is anure
is adapted to the cereals, to the farinaceous plan* and to
some of the commercial plants, we have put beyond doubt
its efficacy when applied to green crops. This has!be,,n re-
markably the case with the Italian rye-grass, the rops of
which have exceeded any other grown even in the oat fa-
vourable circumstances, 28,00 d kilos. of dry hay pe edam
New fodder is what France is most deficient in. Cli-
mate, and the system of culture are equally against the ex-
tension of its production. To create around each of our

large towns, by the well-understood use of the seer ma-
nure, a belt of fed ler, supplying the town and the adjoin-
ing neighbourhoods, and becoming itself an abundant source
of animal produce, is a certain means of quickly increasing
the gener production of the country, and to place it on a
level with the dott,ands of consumption."
Mr. Chadwick---It may appear to be exorbitant tb accept
only the most favourable results, and to reject diode which'
are least so; but, in respect to the cereals, the favoutable re •
suite obtained by the farmers near Paris are confirmed by
the three years' increasing crops obtained at Rugby, by
the application of sewerage alone ; last year it wet stated
to me by Mr. Walker, to have been at the rate of 50
bushels per acre. In France, according to Count Gas-
parin, extraordinary yields of wheat have been obtained
by the method of irrigation. At Mr. M-chi's, and
the new liquified farms in England, the yield has been
almost invariably one quarter heavier than that obtained
by the highest of the ordinary culture. In respect to the
increase l production obtained upon these trial works at
Paris, which is very satisfactory as far as they go,' it is to
be observed that it is en increase upon a production much
below that which is deemed a very ordinary production in
England. In the new cultivation, here, for example, 60 to
80 tons of grass per acre, or 160 to 200 tons the hectare has
been obtained ; and Mr. Dickenson estimates his yield of
Italian rye-grass at from 80 to 100 tons the acre, that is to
say, 200 to 250 tons the hectare ; whereas, as we lave seen,
about 65 tong the hectare is by theta deleted a maximntu
yield. I venture respectfully to submit that, e ith their
climate, they may manure much higher, and that they will
obtain a far superior return._ The experience of the farmers
near Paris, and of *fariners in England, as to the aeplica
bility of liquifiel town manures to the cereals and some of
the crops referred to; is indeed confirmed by other xperi-
ence within France itself. Thus Monsieur Paulet, a writer
who has paid great attention to the subject, states :
" In Deriphine they spread the town manure upon the
wheat and rye in winter, when the ground is still a little
hardened by the frod.. In spring they apply it principally
to bailey, a Short time 'More sowing the seed, and they
prefer a rainy day to spread it ; it is the same for flax and
potatoes." He adds, " If any one has doubts of the aston-
ishing effects produced by the use of town manure, it will
be sufficient to dissipate them to traverse the commune of
Bran, as also a pact of the canton of Magenx (Isere). The
soil of this district is a thick sand and gravel, and in its
natural state is, at the most, suited to the growth of rye
and saintoin. Formerly a large portion of the land was
always in fallow ; the crops exposed to all the vicissitudes
of the seasons in this ungrateful soil scarcely returned the
outlay expended upon them. Now, by the use of the town
manure, the land has completely changed its character,
potatoes
year it bears heavy crops of corn, flax, barley, and pottao.
°cut
Instead of the miserable seinfan which they used-
50 years ago, they now, everywhere has Been
two crops of trefoil, awl, when the sea
in these digtorticts, mow
un-
favourable, an aftermath ; in short, thseonc lvnation of the
country has undergone a complete revoluuti'ort. Since the
use of the town manure; the rotation of crops is improved,
fellows have disappeared; the soil, well worked and abun-
dantly manured, suffices, wioithoitut; difficulty, for the various
wealth has replaced po-
produce which they get f
verty. It is an example fitted to excite the zeal of agri-
culturists in all countries where they neglect the use of
manures. The direct method of using manure from dwell-
ing-houses is also excellent; it is far preferable to that
method which begins bY COD verting these matters into pou-
a method which ought to be utterly condemned. Let
dteorsea
hope' that the more enlightened agriculturists will employ
these town manures, as being even more rich in nutritive
elements and abounding in salts." I will only add that the
conclusions of the coin miesionersin favour of the direct ep-
plication of manures are given in consideration of the con-
ference in a theatre of chemical works, patented processes,
solidifications, and disinfectants, all of which have un-
doubtedly failed there ; and I could not find that the chief
manufacture— that of poudrette, a solidified manure, after
the evaporation and loss of two-thirds of the fertilising
matter, was spoken of otherwise than as by M. Paulet.
Nor, although many of these processes have been re-in-
vented or re-patented in England. At several towns where
works on that principle have been tried, I am informed
that they have boon given up—and I have notbeard of one
instance of success ; and I bee to ask of our secretary, Mr.
Hudson, wletther the records of the society present one
authenticated instance of successful application ! [Mr.
Hudson—" I hare not been informed of any."] Ride as
the first applications of sewer manure may have baenetbo
have certainly been successful in production. paid some
time ago, that it might be applied at considerable distances,
at the rate of 2d. per ton. The Earl of Essesi:inforiPs
me
that he applies it at a short distance, about a mile,
for ld. per ton. These first trial works at Paris are
I deemed there to he highly important as indications, and