The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-08
The Land and Sewage.

The Land and Sewage. .
A late English item, published by MS yes
terday, stated that the Earl OF Derby hat
offered to take the whole of the sewage O
the town Of Dudley to his farm free of ex
pense to the town; and very wisely thu
Town Council accepted the offer. 1t was fur
Their stated that thus "the. rate-payers
would save $4,000, or S250,000.
This item is interesting; it shows no"
valuable city sewage is considered by
nobleman of experience as farmer in the
business a tillage; and it also shows the
manifest craving OF the land for the otla
resulting from the produce the land had
yielded. The example Of the Earl should
have great weight with society, The town
OF Dudley belongs to the county OF Worces'
ter, England, and is ten miles from Birming'
ham. 1t has a population OF about $4,000,
and is distinguished for its enterprise and
its public charities. >.i-.- ID H.
The question Of utilizing the sewage OF
cities-or, in other, words, of returning 10
the land that which is taken from it-must
in this country grow in importance and
urgency with time The skinning the land
and the throwing of all the sewage and
otal that comes from the digestion or decay
Of its productions into the running waters
of the country will, if continued, surely
lead to the impoyerishment of the land.
Where rich fields wave with luXuriant
crops time will change the scene into q
desert, and when that comes there will be
neither money nor energy to restore that
surface to fertility and abundance. We see
all around us that where men live upon
lands that are by improper tillage becoming
less productive every year the owner is
less disposed-to improve it in proportion as
its improvement becomes more difficult and
costly. IA ...ar 81
At one time it was thought that society
had discovered the means 10y which the land
could be ever kept in good heart, and its
productive energies never allowed to dimin-
ish. But it is found that those means-the
concentrated fertilizers-arc the certain
causes OF fastening the exhaustion OF the
land, unless they have the cooperation OF
the putrescent manures. This is the way ii
is generally stated; but we prefer to con-
slider putrescent manuBes-viz., the otfal OF
the land itself-7as' the principal source OF
the life and vigor of land, and to look upon
the concentrated fertilizers as mere auXilia.
ries. These cannot be used to advantage
by themselves. Either they must be applied
contemporaneously with the offal; or
they must be used in a crop that is sue.
ceeded by a green crop, which must be
turned under the surface to give proper
life and Kindness to the soil. The farmer
who uses the concentrated stimulants with
out these combinations will soon find hiE
error in the evident waning OF the produc
tive powers OF mis- farm. =" = ~. ~ ....,
DO we not see in Virginia a lamentablt
diminution in the capacity OF lands in Ger.
tain respects2 What about cur wheat, it,
character as we'll as its yield? What about
our tobacco? Where now are the rich and
heavy tobaccos, pied as the leopard, ant
which once were so desirable in certain
markets? The " concentrated stimulants
used unwisely, have tended to exhaustion
aud the quality as well as the yield OF the
crops is a rather alarming sign Of the fact
Concentrated manures are valuable; but
the farmer must never use them to the ne
glect Of the putrescent manures, for they are
the health and vigor and very life of the
land.
Lord DERBY Is wise. His estate will prove
it, and proye-if proof were wanting thai
the offal of the land should be returned to
it as sure means of maintaining the pro-
ductive yigor OF the soil. There can be nc
substitute for it. Any attempt ITO dispense
with that will end in failure and agricultural
impoY erishment. -. 100; ..,f .,.st1 4 + @ s.
1t is not only in the advantages to the land
Of this utilization OF sewage that the system
is to be admired, but it is the relief OF ths
running water by transferring this sewage
from the river to the land. III All, what an
inestimable blessing that must be to al
Lying upon river that is SO relieved BY
way OF illustration, how delightlul;i II would
be to this city to learn that enterprising per.
sons had utilized the sewage of Lynchburg,
and that it would be no more discharged
into James river, to be borne along to this
city! II sewage could be diverted from
rivers ind put upon the land the rivers
would be saved from thousands OF tons Of
pollution, the land would be insured against
exhaustion, and society against want.
Fauqnier county would be unanimous for
Tilden but for one man, Mr. Horace Dodd,
who votes for Hayes on personal grounds,
being bis nephew. 81 His aunt, Miss Gatha-
rine Hayes, formerly called ssAunt Kitty,'
resides with him, and is q most worthy
lady Run Gazette. y, & s,.;F1 81