UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica, June 29, 1973. To: Mr. Sam Heppenstall, President, Conservation International Inc. Subject: Investigations Involving Super-soil. As you are aware, the 1972/73 research programme of this office included a number of investigations on the use of super-soil. Interest in this organic based material stemmed not only from its merits as a source of major and minor plant nutrients but as a soil ameliorating product. Priority in our soil fertility investigations is attached to the very extensive (about of the island's arable area) St. Ann Clay loam, generally known as Red bauxite. On this soil type the level of crop yield is usually limited by the availability of phosphate. Its high sesquioxide content causes phosphate fixation to be a serious problem and techniques of fertilizer placement below the depth of the seed at planting have proven most advantageous. Supersoil was included in these fertilizer placement trials using Red peas (Phaseolus vulgaris), peanuts, Irish potato and yams as test crops. In this regard, I am happy to advise that there are indications that the practice of providing a protective cover to concentrated fertilizers such as 12-24-12, 6-18-27, with supersoil, is advantageous. Red peas, on a field scale, benefited by being two weeks earlier. Observations of nursery beds also suggest that very shallow furrows filled with supersoil is a very favourable medium for rapid germination of tomato, cabbage and pepper. The advantages of using supersoil have proven so encouraging to date, that the range of crop investigations involving this product have been increased to include field scale trials of Schillion, Tomato, Cabbage, sweet potato and corn. The first series of tests were aimed at evaluating the best method of application i.e. placement techniques versus broadcast. The present series, 1973/74, seeks to establish the cost benefit ratio of using this product on a field scale either singularly or in combination with concentrated fertilizer carriers. A wide range of domestic food crops are involved. I look forward to your next visit to Jamaica and an opportunity to conduct you on an inspection tour of investigational sites. Best regards to family, HORACE W. PAYNE. Mr. HOWARD BURR. THE CAYMANAS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB LTD. DEAR MR. BURR: Ever since the inception of your company, we have been using your fertilizer on our golf course and I would like to go on record that it is an excellent product, and in fact this is one of the reasons why our golf course always looks green and beautiful. As you know, we are still using your fertilizer. J. ZIADIE, Chairman of greens committee. [Statements of Falstaff Brewing Corp., Safety-Pak, Princeton University, and Universal Gypsum Co., may be found beginning at page 1872.] Steel American Iron and Steel Institute 1000 16th Street, NW. Washington, D.C.20036 February 14, 1973 Senator Edmund S. Muskie United States Senate Committee on Public Works Water Pollution Washington, D. C. 20510 Dear Senator Muskie: Thank you for inviting the American Iron and Steel Institute to comment on the resource recovery draft bill (Resource Conservation Act of 1973) prepared by the staff of your Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution. An opportunity to present our views at this early stage is most welcome. It is commendable that you are undertaking a detailed review of Federal programs and policies related to solid waste management. The steel industry is well aware of its own responsibility to help deal with the solid waste problem, particularly as it relates to steel cans. Our commitment to this task was made known to your Committee in my testimony during hearings in March of 1970 on the Resource Recovery Act. At that time I testified for the steel industry as Chairman of American Iron and Steel Institute, putting the industry on record in support of the legislation. And, significantly, we committed the industry to a program whose ultimate objective is the collection and recycle of all steel containers. In the past three years we have made impressive progress toward that objective. We have provided a market for municipally generated ferrous metallics and have guaranteed to maintain that market. Tonnages of can scrap are going into steelmaking furnaces in significantly increasing quantities. To illustrate how far we have come we would like to call your attention, first, to the three-point solid waste recycle program proposed |