Scientific American Supplement, No. 467, December 13, 1884Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 467, December 13, 1884
Various
Science -- Periodicals
In our address as President of the Engineering and Architectural
Section of the Congress of this Institute at Newcastle upon Tyne, in
1882, we directed attention to the important investigation which had
been conducted by Mr. R. Warrington, of Rothamsted, the result of which
was to show the action which goes on in the soil when sewage is passed
through it. Further information which the same observer has published
since that date is of equal value, and deserves to be read by all who
have to advise in regard to sewage disposal on land. The process of
"nitrification" (as it is termed), which he has so fully investigated,
consists in the conversion into nitrates (which serve to nourish plant
life) of the organic matter in sewage. This takes place by the action
of a living ferment of the bacteria family, which is created by and
feeds on the impurities in sewage, and these organisms both consume the
impurities and convert them into nitrates. The action of living agents
thus brings about the oxidation of the organic matter in sewage, just
as worms, larvæ, fungi, and insects feed on the vegetable matter in the
soil, increasing the amount of nitrogenous material in it. Experience
during the past year or two has proved the feasibility of preserving
green crops in a succulent state by compressing them in silos, so that
they can be utilized for cattle fodder in the winter. This system
deserves notice in connection with sewage farming, as we are of opinion
that it will prove a valuable means of getting over the well known
practical difficulty which is experienced of finding a market for the
large amount of green crop which is produced by sewage irrigation. In
speaking of this system the term "silo" is applied to the artificial
chamber or receptacle for green crops (such as grass, vetches, clover,
etc.).
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