THE EARTH CLOSET SYSTEM.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 709, 16 August 1869, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE EARTH CLOSET SYSTEM.

The earth closet system, is we learn, coming into very general use in Auckland. It is a mistake which appears to have been very generally fallen into to suppose that dry clay only can be used as a deodoriser. Fine dry soil, or the ashes from the fire grate—after being passed through a sieve—are as effectual as anything which could be used for the purpose. With regard to the value of earth as manure, we leave the following to speak for itself. Mr Henry Moule, of Fordington Vicarage, writes to the Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette : —" From the time that, in order to the development of the dry-earth system, the manufacture of earth closets, and first a firm, and then a company for that manufacture became a matter of necessity, I ceased writing to you on the subject, lest my desire to publish the benefits of the system should be misconstrued into that of puffing a business. Now, however, that the discovery, in its varied application has emerged from a mere manufacture into a system, and as such is not only widely acknowledged, but legalised at home, and is spreading throughout India, Canada, and the other Colonies, I may perhaps be permitted occasionally, and without suspicion of sordid motive to say a few words about the conduciveness of that system both to health and wealth. In this communication, I would reply as briefly as I can to your correspondent 'Amateur.' Two or three years ago, Mr H. Taylor, a farmer aud manuredealer in Dorchester, who has for longer than that period supplied and removed the earth from the Dorset Country School of 75 or 80 boys, pronounced the manure to bo worth, when dry, from <£2 to MS per ton Shortly after this, two tenants ol Baron Rothschild's at Hutton, whose names you will find iu the Earth Closet Company's Circular, gave their testimony to the experiment—that the minimum value of the earth once used in a closet is i-3 per ton. Previous to this testimony I had disposed of the manure from my parish school, of about 90 boys, in this way:—A farmer provided the earth and removed it giving me 10s a month for the produce. This I gave to the schoolmaster to induce him more readily, to keep the place in proper order. But on receiving the testimonials above mentioned I proposed to two of the farmers of the parish to take a ton each, give me ,£3 a ton for it, which should go to the schoolmaster, and carefully try an experiment. One was quite satisfied with the power ol the manure, but used it extravagantly, applying the entire ton to a single acre of swedes. The other, R. Hayne, Esq., of Fordington, wrote thus to the manager of the Earth Closet Com pany :—'l used some earth that had passed twice through the earth closets of the day school in this parish on a piece of rape about three acres and a half. The land had the previous season borne a crop of mangold the whole of which was drawn and con sumed at home. The rape was sown on the 30th April, and 1 ton of the earth, costing 60s, was drilled with the seed. Iu June, 2cwt. of Bell's was sown broadcast over the whole piece, which was horse-hoed in the drills. The reason for my applying the guano was because the land had not been dunged. The crop was a good one, although the season was so dry and hot, and therefore unfavorable for rape. If I had not used the earth, I should have drilled six sacks of bones in the piece, costing 725.'"