From Adey@micr.unp.ac.zaSat Mar 18 10:16:53 1995
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 12:10:53 GMT
From: "Samantha.Adey" <Adey@micr.unp.ac.za>
To: london@calypso-2.oit.unc.edu
Cc: Adey@micr.unp.ac.za
Subject: Re: Beneficial use of waste? (fwd)

In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.950309132533.8855A-100000@calypso-2.oit.unc.edu> you write:
>Path: nntp.und.ac.za!quagga.ru.ac.za!psgrain!news.uoregon.edu!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!news.ultranet.com!zombie.ncsc.mil!news.duke.edu!news-server.ncren.net!concert!bigblue.oit.unc.edu!oit-mail2news-gateway
>From: london@calypso-2.oit.unc.edu (Lawrence F. London, Jr.)
>Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
>Subject: Beneficial use of waste? (fwd)
>Date: 9 Mar 1995 18:49:42 -0000
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>The company manufactures paper primarily from cotton textile waste and 
>ginning byproducts; therefore its residuals are primarily cotton fibers: 
>those too coarse, too fine or too short for quality papermaking. Also small 
>bits of stems, leaves and other pieces of the cotton and flax plants. 


>The company is considering using the residuals as a soil amendment, for 
>the base of engineered soils or for land reclamation projects.

>My questions, among others, are: is this the best we can expect? Are 
>there higher uses? Where would such a material fit in the organic 
>farming/gardening environment? Are there folks out there with similar 
>challenges? Are there some answers?


The textile wastes and byproducts could be used for growing edible 
mushrooms.  There are many species that are simple to grow and that can be 
grown on unprocessed materials (wastes and byproducts).  Once the mushrooms 
have fruited, the resulting spent compost can be used to fertilize and 
condition soils.  In some cases, the spent compost is fed to animals, to 
supplement their feed.  In my (limited) experience, I have found "The 
Mushroom Cultivator" by Paul Stamets and J.S. Chilton to be adequate for 
assistance in the methods of mushroom cultivation.  Paul Stamets has written 
other books on this subject.  I ask you to please consider Mushroom 
Production as an option in your quest.

Yours faithfully

Samantha Adey
