Pray be Careful.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 29 January 1891, Page 2

Pray be Careful.

■ ♦ Sir James Hector speaking at the ad v ancement of Science ■Association . deplored "the" rapjuT deteriorafioh which the soil of tfie • Colony ■ Cwhs undergoing bjr the' exports of * the . constituents on which plant! and animal life must depend for nourishment. "He calculated thainVlßßß the intrinsic value of the fixed nitrogen and phosphoric acid and potash sent out annually . was £490,000, taking into account the wool and the wheat alone. Now that 'we have to add to that the exported carcases of beef and mutton bones and all, the annual loss must be considerably greator. The proper cure would, of course b ) to brin" back return cargoes of artificial manures." Years ago the same . idea struck the eugar planters of Jamaica, and " they ordered large quantities of the sewage of London to renovate their plantations^ Dr R'chardson, last November 1 , related an unpleasant fact, but one full of warning, in a lecture f on sanitary science. The exporters of this sewage, for oqnvenie,poe sent 4t away in barre's, and looking upon' It as unsatisfactory to los.e their barrels ou each transaction, ; or tq .pja^, a freight on, empties , prdgr^d J^.petf same barrels ., that ...qut w(^R sewage to fie filled' With* are cum cargo of raw sugar ! Not nice, but true, warning ? us to be careful to inquire how our imports of this nature, arrive. .. •„ . „ . > *