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113
The regulations require that the manure should be removed
"every alternate day." Twice a week in summer, and once a
week in winter would probably suffice for all practical requirements
in ordinary cases, if the manure were stored in properly
constructed receptacles above ground.
Owing to inclement weather in the early part of the present
year,—snow having fallen in large quantities and remained long
on the ground, the removal of manure was suspended for a
lengthened term, with the usual result of a crop of complaints
from residents in the vicinity of the mewses. The nuisance was
all the greater as the manure had been spread to enable coachmen
and others to exercises their horses, the effect being that the
straw had become crushed and sodden, and thus rendered more
offensive than usual. When collected after the thaw much of the
filthy stuff was piled up against empty stables, there being no
room for it in the pits, etc., at occupied stables, and thereby the
responsibility of its removal was so shifted, that in many instances
your Vestry had to send carts into mewses and take it away.
Acting on my suggestion, your Vestry circulated a special handbill
calling upon the proprietors of stables to remove the accumulated
manure without delay, and intimating that proceedings for
the recovery of penalties under the regulations would be taken in
case of default. The ordinary machinery by means of market
garden carts utterly broke down in the emergency, and it was
many weeks before the parish was restored to its ordinary
condition in respect of stable manure ; and this, as I have said,
is by no means satisfactory. A very large portion of the
time of the Sanitary Inspectors is taken up in the endeavour to
keep the several districts fairly clear of manure, time which in
different circumstances would be more profitably occupied in other
directions. This subject is further referred to in a special report
thereon by the Society of Medical Officers of Health, in the
following section.
TRADE, HOUSE, STABLE & COWSHED "REFUSE."
In previous sections, viz., "Slaughter Houses" (page 96);
"Cowsheds" (page 102); "House Refuse" (page 111) ; and
"Stable Refuse" (page 112); I have referred to the difficulties