Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-10-25
THE GAZETTE.
FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 25.

SEWERAGE AND MANURE. In London, the
river. Thames became at last so offensive that
popular attention was aroused, and steps were
taken to provide remedy. Gigantic works
are now In progress. under the supervision OF
commissioners, by which all the sewers OF the
city are intercepted aud their contents instead
of being discharged as formerly into the rive r,
are drawn off into a main channel carried I'M
foreground many miles beyond the limits OF the
city, and brought into use Tor the purpose O: OF
fertilizing eight thousand acres OF barren sol
known as the MaplinI Sands These great
snm than fifteen millions OF dollars, and it is
calculated that Tie sale of the sewerage, by its
extension to many thousand additional acres Of
arabic land, XIII pay no inconsidersble portion
of the interest on the sum invested in the
works. An experimental farm of two hundred
acres, formingla part of the Napin Sands, has
already been brought under cultivation as a
test of the fertilizing capacity Of sewerage.
From an account of this farm, which is now
before us, we learn that the sewerage is brought
from the pumping station to the farm through
fifteen inch pipes The pipes are generally
laid under the soil, and are discharged through
syphon into a tank on the boundary OF the
fsrm.. 10 this tank are regulating chambers,
and the height over the soil IS sufficient to Sc
+. ure rapid aud thorough irrlgatlon-the lat
ter being effected through movable shoots, as
we'll as through field carriers or open drains.
The farm is devoted mainly to the raising OF
grass and green crops. But even on what was
has been raised, Of which the yield was salts
factory and the straw OF which was fine and
strong. But the grass and vegetables were
sstonishingly excellent, both in point CT pro-
duct and quality. The cabbages are represent
ed as splendid and the celery, large, white
and crisp--the white edible portion being
eighteen inches long The yield of marigol d
wurtzes was SO immense as to be almost IN
credible. One of the marigolds that was sent
to Liverpool on exhibition weighed no less
than eighteen pounds, and the product per
acre was estimated at sixty tons The grass,
of which there Is sixty acres, consists prlnci-
pally Of what is known as the Italian rye grass.
The growth OF this grass is said to have been
perfectly marvellous. During the present
year it has been cut seven times and yielded
from seven to ten tons OF green grass at each
cuttlDg--the greater part OF the field averaging
ten tons. The expense OF irrigation Is esti-
mated at ten dollars per acre per annum, or
about dollar All acre for each cutting OF grass
The surplus product--much Of the grass being
fed off on the farm finds ready sale to the
London COW Keepers The Company, how
ever, maintained on the farm itself one hun
dred ADD eleven COWS, all of them giving milk.
At Que time during the present year no less
than two hundred and seventy, six cows were
kept, and even then the supply of grass was
greater than they could consume. Here, then,
is Il striking instance of the beneficial effects
Of he sewerage Of large cities on lands that
were absolutely barren before the liquid was
applet But the benefit to agriculture Is not
uear 5 great as the improvement which this
thorough drainage is calculated to produce
upun The general health of those cities where
he sewerage has hitherto been suffered to
hossinto the rivers and generate noxious gases.
Baltimore Gazette.