Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-21

constant liberation OF the noxious sui
phuretted hydrogen gases from the sue
cessive crops of daily deposits on the
beach would be the order. If this is
publication by aeration, then l must
confess am unable to comprehend it.
The best and most economical way to
obviate this fermentation of solid sewage
matter and prevent the generation OF
noxious gases, is to put it on the land as
quick as possible, let it decompose
under the surface of the soil, and not on
| the sea- beach, or on the banks or bed of
river. Soil is the natural deodorizer
The nitrogenous qualities of animal
and vegetable matter contained in sew
age provides q manure 30 much needed
on lands under constant cropping, that
few people stop to think Of its value.
Leibig, the great German chemist and
philanthropist, says "that it is highly
probable that one of the causes that led
to the depopulation of the great cities of
antiquity was the difficulty OF obtaining
q supply of food for their inhabitants,
for the reason that the soils in the
vicinity of these cities became exhausted
of the phosphates, and at last refused to
grow food at all, hence the migration of
peoples and the desolation of once busy
cities" l think this can be honestly
and truthfully applied to us. We have
only to look at the vineyards and
orchards OF Los Angeles and acquaint
ourselves with their pitiable and worm
out condition.
l mean those lands so many years
bearing crops without manure, and this
ia the reason of the insipidity complained
of by our Eastern visitors of some Of our
fruits, and one reason why our
homemade wines do not pos
sess that delicate flavor 80 much
desired by the epicure. What are we
to expect from lands under constant
crop and washed out by water, until they
are denuded and robbed of their vital
phosphates. We would in time be in
the condition of those ancient cities.
When this fact was first understood, it
was probably shown by chance that the
dung of the animal deposited at the time
of working in the field produced a more
luxuriant growth, and the animal excre-
ment was valued for that purpose; hence
the use of manure. So now, when this
state of affairs happens we manure the
land if we have the manure. In sewage
water we have the double advantage
we are enabled to supply the plant with
water and add the phosphates necessary
for their growth and maturity.
And be it remembers this is the only
way (when the soil fails) to endow it
with those qualities by artificial means.
This is how we get the phosphates again
in the plants and grasses. We must OBJ.
tain it in our food or we must cease to
live; and the food which contains the
most phosphate is the cereal grasses.
But these cereal grasses must get the
phosph ates before they can be supplied
to us. Leibig declares that lone of the
great drawbacks in the growth
Of wheat and other grain crops is the
want of phosphates in the soil,
and one of the great hindrances to the
development of animals, and of man, is
the want of phosphates in the food
they take" Chemistry proves that this
was and is now actually the case. Con-
sumption and other diseases emsnates
from this lack OF phosphstes in food, 80,
to supply the lack of animal manure, or
the required constituents of that fertil-
izer, the mineral kingdom ia ransacked,
and in the "Coprolites," the petrified
dung of the extinct Saurian reptile of the
Liassic period, is found the object 30
much desired, and today, if it was not
for the acquisition of this 'superphos.
phates," England, with all it's rainy
seasons, would lapse into barren waste !;
happily for the country the Copro.
lites are obtainable in large quantities.
This phosphate is in itself insoluble,
but by pouring upon it sulphuric acid,
it is rendered soluble, and fit to be.
come the food of plants. 1t is sold as
An artificial manure under the appelation
of "6uperphosphates." Having know
ledge Of these facts, and being an OBJ
server of matter and effects, think our
city authorities should pause before they
waste and forever deprive the soil of the
vicinity of the city, of the means of
future modification.
Politics or partiss cut no figure with
mo in this case, but have no desire in
future of being branded as one of those
who would sell the birthrights of the
soil for mess of pottage. JOHN HALL.