Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from "ned" contains these words:

There are those who claim that the best tomatoes are those fed on
sheep dip.

I have never heard such a claim..at least, not from anyone who
knows
what sheep dip is.

Perhaps I should have enclosed 'sheep dip' in quotes.
What I was referring to was the concoction made by soaking sheep purls
in water until a dark green liquid is formed. This then being applied
as a 'liquid manure' to grow bags planted up with tomatoes. The
practice dates back, as I can verify, to the late 1940's when I was
allowed to accompany my father on his golf outings with the prime task
of cleaning up the sheep mown fairways. Whether they had growbags in
them days escapes me. 'Probably not. 'Most likely it was trenches
filled with leaf mould. But the practice was most certainly carried
forward into the 'grow bag' era. I'll bet there is many an allotment
sporting bags of sheep purls dangling in a bucket of water.

What do you think happens to the contents of all those rural septic
tanks filled with human waste? No, it is not taken to sewerage
farms
for 'processing'. It is spread 'neat' on farmland.

Where? In my long experience of rural septic tanks, the contents
are
collected by local councils and taken to sewage plants for
treatment.
Some sell heat-treated sewage as fertiliser on land-reclamation
projects.

Where? Right here in rural East Midlands. The collection bowser is
tractor drawn and waltzes straight off to spread it on the land. I am
aware of the heat treatment plants around major conurbations but in
this neck of the woods, the council is hardly gong to indulge in 50
mile round trips to process my human 'animal' calls of nature when my
neighbouring farmers are spreading all their farm 'animal' waste
products over their own fields. 'Sure it pongs for a couple of days.
But then, so does rape pollen. Its all part of natures 'rich' pattern.

:-) You know it makes sense. ;-)

I've just had a look in our 'Yellow Pages' under 'waste disposal'. The
Council does not offer a service - but dozens of other companies do.
One actually advertises "Sewage sludge and all other organic waste
liquid removed. Land injection specialists - returning natural waste
back to the land."
;-) I rest my case.

Just a bit OT now, aren't we.