Result of inquiries as to quantities of water required per acre for irrigated lands : and the supply of sewage obtainable from the metropolis. May, 1849.

  • London (England). Metropolitan Commission of Sewers.
Date:
[1849]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Result of inquiries as to quantities of water required per acre for irrigated lands : and the supply of sewage obtainable from the metropolis. May, 1849. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    other parts of a bed of sand, and the sand requires nearly twice as much water for satu¬ ration as the clay. GEO. BUCHANAN. Edinburgh, May 7, 1849. Note of the Extent of New Meadows at Craigentinny. Of the 90 acres of new meadows proposed to be taken in, only 73 have been executed, leaving the remainder still to be done, and all as proposed by the same pump¬ ing machinery. Besides this, 4 imperial acres have been added to the lower meadows. GEO. BUCHANAN. Edinburgh, May 8, 1849. Extract from a Letter from Mr Roe to Mr Chadwick, dated June 6, 1849. My land (meadow) is drained to a depth of 2 feet, and the outlet for the drains is into a tank from whence I again pump the water for use a second time (the tank has an over¬ flow drain). Soon after the irrigation commences I find the water in my drains run freely, and the water still exceedingly good. The tank need not be very large if the water is pumped out as it flows in. This land has an understratum of clay, having a depth of 18 inches of alluvial soil on the top. I cut my crop in April and the beginning of May, and began cutting my second crop the last week in May. Last year I cut five crops, and left a good feed after. A quarter of an acre kept my horse thirty weeks, with only two trusses of hay in addition. I have not the least doubt but that I shall cut seven crops this year, worth to cowkeepers at least from 61. to 11. per acre each crop. The quantity of water I used to each irrigation last year was 50 cwt. to each four poles of ground, or 100 tons to one acre. This spring I have used at the rate of 200 tons, and the result has been on that portion that in one month after the first cutting the grass is what is termed lodged. I have only irrigated twice in the winter and once immediately after each cutting. The water I use passes partly through the dung pit; the contents of a water closet used by three people, and the urine from one horse, pass to the tank, so that sewer water (unmixed with rain water), is much stronger than the water I use. I am, &c., (Signed) JOHN ROE. E Chadwick, Esq., SfC. Sfi. 8fc.