Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-09
ANN. TAI. AM Chic. Residue
Supply End. .2i0 .olS 958 cas-
Flow End ..i .252 .0I 9.22 600


The exclusion Of air from the sewage ofthis
system keeps it fresh the nitrogen is in an or
gAniC state and consequently of no use to VCgc-
tatiOn. fertilizer should become ammoniacal
by decomposition before it is capable of assmi-
latiOn by plants. Analyses OF sewage in Europe
reveal that there is no loss of fertilizing ma
tcrial in Il closed conduit having n run of seven
and one-half miles. And examinations of the
soil of sewage farms show that in all instances
the sand one foot below the surface is pure
and white as that where irrigation is not prGc-
ticcd.
In the Mystic valley the sewage Of tanneries
has for several years been pumped by the city
OF Boston into small reservoirs OF deposit OBJ
viouSy too small to eliminate even the matter
in suspension From the tank there is an over
flow into shallow ditch several hundred feet
long i'm which are set several brush dams after
which II discharges into Mystic lower basin.
The result of this treatment is to start putre-
faction by warmth and free exposure TO air, and
thus produce stencil which people living in
the vicinity claim has greatly reduced the value
of real estate. 1t does not merit extended
description, the efforts tins far made merely
amount to n Irritation with the subject.
A few of the farmers living along the Black
stone river are beginning TO appreciate the
valuable iertilizing material conveyed by the
current from Worcester Mass One farmer
states that his meadow lands which were prac.
tically abandoned 1t not paying to harvest
the grass, now produce crops which add several
hundred dollars year TO the value of his farm.
Others are placing distractions in the river with
the object of turning the water on the land.
PROGRESS MADE.
During the past ten years sanitarianS and en-
gineers have made great progress towards solu-
ton of this question, and il is fair to presume
from the great increase III the number of cities
and towns that have adopted irrigation and ag-
riculture as the means of purifying sewage that
this method has proved the most satisfactory
Berlin has two large farms devoted To this OBJ
jcct, one of 2,0i) acres and another of Isis
acres. great many chemical experiments
were tried before the adoption of the present
system. They proved very expensive, aud none
purified the water, although many clarified it,
Finally, after xperimenting in irrigation aud ag-
riculture for eighteen months on little field of
about three hectares (less than seven and one
half acres), such favorable results were real
the eminent Eirchow working heartily in its
favor At the present time 067 acres suffice to
purify H. 60 900 gallons per day, the drainage of
iour-iflhS of the city, containing population of
over COO 900. There is some odor at the large
sewer, but in the fields there is no SMELL and the
sanitary condition is all that could be de
sired. There never has been any complaint
from the numerous adjoining habitatons, and
the effiuent drain water of the farmsis pure and
clear il being impossible TO recognize by mi
croscopy OF chemistry any influences of the
sewage, Vegetables and fruit trees grow lux
uriantly on the land. and their roots make-a
perfect filter. Thirteen and one-quar.er tons of
hay has been cut per hectare Ia little less than
two and one half acreS).
FURTHER INSTANCES
Dantzic, situated about three miles from the
Baltic, on account of pollution of its harbor at
the mouth of the Vistula. constructed sewer to
discharge on sandy island having little or no