Remarks of Army Sanitary Commission. 141

sibly different from the last, except that traces of fæcal matter, chiefly fibrous, were visible throughout the mass.

4th.-Trenches used in August were somewhat offensive when opened, and fæcal matter was found in masses still unconverted.

5th. The trenches recently filled in November were perfectly inoffensive, until the layer of nightsoil was exposed by the spade, when an offensive odour was perceptible close to the trench. But the mass was perceptibly undergoing a change.

I may remark that every effort is made to mix the soil with earth as dry as possible when the trenches are being filled, and that the last eighteen inches is filled up with earth alone.

The advantages gained, therefore, are, that the filth is effectually disposed of without causing nuisance; the lands employed are gradually raised—a great consideration in a low-lying locality, and their productive powers are enormously increased. I do not overlook the fact that sanitary authorities in India have, to a certain extent, condemned the practice of burying nightsoil; and I find that the Army Sanitary Commission (1869), remarked,"that the practice of burying the mixture of earth and excrement must result in fouling large areas of ground," for that, "even after careful mixture of excreta with earth, the mass, when buried, gives out offensive vapours in damp or rainy weather." They also say: "It still may be taken as showing that, in India, the earth process and subsequent burial are inadequate for the requirements of health, at least in the case of large fixed populations; and that if this process is to be continued for such populations, it must be modified,

142

Necessity for Cultivation.

:

And this is only to be

and brought more in accordance with natural laws." This is, it appears to me, the pith of the whole argument, the necessity of bringing it more into accordance with natural laws.' done by cultivation, and applying the excreta to the soil in the manner most convenient for its rapid absorption and assimilation by growing vegetation. "It is only the action of the living and growing vegetable which recomposes the products of decomposition and carries out to its consummation the process of disinfection, even as it is only through plant-life that we can reach the goal of utilization." The roots of plants are actively and unceasingly at work absorbing the products of decomposition as they are evolved, and thus preventing their escape to the surface.

At the commencement of the working the owners of the lands who had, after considerable persuasion, leased them out to the Municipality, complained that the standing fruit-trees were being injured by the burial of soil close to their roots; but, on careful investigation, these apprehensions were found to be groundless. The only instances where the trees had really suffered were distinctly traceable to the excessive cutting of their roots in digging deep trenches alongside of them. On the contrary, they largely benefited as a rule, and in many cases old trees recovered, put out new flushes of leaf, and began to fruit, though previously barren.

After the trenches have been filled, closed, and the ground has settled a little, it is dug over regularly and cultivated with jute, sugarcane, fodder, maize, guinea grass, reana luxurians, or lucerne. Carrots have also been found a useful crop for horse-fodder, but, as a rule, root

crops are not suitable for first cropping on such richly manured lands. Jute and coarse strong feeding grasses are better for the first crop. Jute, which seldom attains a great height in this part of Bengal, reaches twelve and-a-half to thirteen feet, and is proportionately stout, with good, fine fibre, fit for the manufacture of Hessian cloths. Sugarcane yields a fair heavy crop, and all the grasses are entirely successful.

The following will be found a convenient rotation for working nightsoil grounds over a series of years, the main principles to be observed being

1st. The occupation of the land for a sufficient time for trenching in the filth.

2nd. The planting of such crops as are strong coarse feeders, and which consequently exhaust the richness of the soil, followed by those less exhausting.

3rd.—The regular succession of perpendicular rooting and horizontal rooting crops.

4th.-Not repeating the same crop in the same ground. 5th.—Regular periodical retrenching.

ROTATION.

From 1st Feby. to 31st May, 4 months, Trenching.

Fodder maize.

1st June to 31st August, 3

وو

Trenching.

Fallowing.

Jute.

From 1st June to 30th November, 6 months, Trenching.

1st Decr. to 31st May,

144

Cultivation of Bananas.

And another portion, as follows:

From 1st Feby. to 31st May, 4 months, Trenching.

Carrots (English). always be strictly

Of course these dates cannot adhered to, but must vary according to the earliness or lateness of the seasons in different parts of the country.

Where the local markets are badly supplied with English and country vegetables, they may be grown with the greatest success on ground thus manured, and are far superior both in size and quality to the ordinary garden vegetable.

The late Dr. Fawcus, Superintendent of the Alipore Central Jail, who took great interest in this subject, advocated the cultivation of plantains, and was of opinion that a square mile of ground so cultivated would yield an annual income of Rs. 300,000. I extract the following from a memorandum on the subject:

"The cultivation of bananas requires little or no knowledge of farming, and very little labor or care. All that has to be done is to plant in rows, and manure well the interspaces. I know from experience that human excrement is especially suited to plantains, and that, when well manured with this, they yield enormous crops, and do not require the usual triennial transplanting."

The principal objection to this form of cultivation is the long time that the ground is occupied by the plants. Where ground is plentiful and need not be used oftener than once in three years, plantain or banana cultivation would be undoubtedly profitable.

The following testimony as to the value of nightsoil

earth is given by an experienced horticulturist, Mr. Superintendent Lynam, of the Calcutta Police:

I now give you my promised report on the nightsoil earth. I must say that, as far as I have experimented, it has been a great success. I have tried it on more than two hundred rose plants, and on every plant there was a marked improvement both in vigorous growth and profusion of flowers; and moreover, there is a second set of flowerbuds forming after the first set was cut away. This I never had before. What pleases me with it most is, that it is not a heating fertilizer, and therefore does not unduly stimulate the plants. It is certain to improve roses in bad health, and I must say that a very valuable manure has been wasted up to the present time. It would be admirable for tea plants: it should not be put directly to the roots, but the surface soil should be loosened, the earth mixed with it and watered copiously a day or two after. I may remark that, after exposure to the air for a short time, it loses all its offensive qualities, and a mali may handle it without knowing it to be other than ordinary soil.”

The next question for our consideration is, whether the collection and utilization of the filth of a town can be made to pay the cost of cleansing and removal, or yield any substantial return to the town for the outlay incurred; and this is one which cannot, I fear, be satisfactorily answered so far as Bengal is concerned, despite English or Continental precedents and the theoretical calculations so confidently put forward by Mr. Buck, the Director of Agriculture and Commerce, N. W. P., and even of the actual experiences of the few Indian towns that have succeeded to some extent in profitably disposing of their filth.

K