" of 1,500 acres, extends from
Saltley to Tyburn, two and a half miles, and who have now to deal with
the sewage brought there from 188 miles of main sewers, extending as far
as King's Norton and Selly Oak, Harborne, Smethwick, &c. The whole of
the black and turgid stream of liquid filth brought down by the sewers
is utilised upon the farm, some 200 cubic yards of mud being lifted
daily from the settling tanks, to be dug in, while the overflow is taken
by carriers to the most distant parts, and allowed to filtrate through
the soil, until the resulting effluent is as clear as crystal, while
immense crops are gathered yearly from the land so treated. An analysis
made a little time back of a natural deposit from the town sewerage,
formed near the embouchure of several sewers emptying into one of the
great arterial mains, showed the absence of all ammoniacal salts and a
scarcity of phosphates, particularly alkaline phosphates, and at the
same time the presence of a large quantity of protoxide of iron, also of
zinc, copper, and other metals in the state of oxides and sulphurets.
These metallic salts absorb the sulphuretted hydrogen and ammonia
generated by decaying vegetable, and animal matter, and doubtless so
contributes to promote the health of the town, but nevertheless every
precaution should be taken against the possible admission to the house
of "sewer gas," which at all times is injurious to health. The analysed
deposit contained when dried only 1.4 per cent. of nitrogen (not as
ammonia) and 3.5 of earthy phosphates; but about 11.7 of protoxide of
iron, besides zinc, copper, and other metals to the extent of 2 or 3 per
cent. The latter-named proportions may in some measure account for "what
becomes of the pins?" as in the deposit named (which was nearly solid)
those useful little articles were exceedingly conspicuous.

~Shambles.~--The name given to the meat market in Jamaica Row. In the
map of 1731, "The Shambles" are marked as a long block of buildings, a
little higher than opposite the end of Bell Street, and in 1765 they
still remained there, forming a kind of "middle row," among the
incongruous collection of tenements, stallages, &c., that encumbered our
Bull Ring, down to the gates of the church itself.

~Ship Inn.~--The old Ship Inn, at Camp Hill, where Prince Rupert had his
headquarters in 1643, was pulled down in 1867; the present Ship Hotel
being opened February 6, 1868. It was sold in July, 1882, for L12,0