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o~~ o~~ • ~~~~,~ Treatments and Seed Mixture Each treatment, including the control, was applied growth medium. All plots were seeded with the descriptions of each treatment and of the seed mixture. • to one of the four plot: on each same seed mixture. Below aze TREATMENT 1--CONTROL. The control plots received no amendments. Each control plot was tilled, raked and seeded only. TREATMENT 2-ORGANIC AMENDMENT. To each plot receiving this treatm~;nt, a 1:1 mixture of steer manure and sphagntun peat moss was applied at a rate of 10 ton/acre (field weight basis). The purpose of this treatment is to enhance the physical characteristics of the growth media, and to provide nutrients for plants and an organic matter substrate for soil micro-organisms. TREATMENT 3--CONTROL OF PH. Treatment 3 consists of a combination of lime and a proprietary acidifying bacteria inhibitor manufactured by ProMac Systems, a subsidiary of B. F. Goodrich. This treatment was formulated by ProMac based on their sampling and analyses of lake sediment and waste rock materials from the site. Lake sediment plots (I and II) were limed with 1.5 ton/acre calcium ct~rbonate equivalent; waste rock plots (III) received ProMac only and no lime. ProMac pellets and powder were applied to each plot in accordance with ProMac's specifications. Materials were broadcast evenly over each plot area at the following rates- ProMac 2000SB - 198 parts ` ProMac 2000PN - 84 parts ProMac 2000PB - 119 parts ProMac 2000PY - 99 parts ~ Each of these ProMac materials is formulated to provide different controlled rates of release of bactericidal active ingredient The active ingredient is selective for free living acid-forming autotrophic bacteria (e.g.,Thiobacillus and Ferrobacillus), but does not affect beneficial heterotrophic bacteria or other types of micro-organisms in the soil. Results with ProMac technology on acid coal spoil in the eastern United States have shown great promise for effective long term control of acidification. The product has only been on the market for a year and has been little tested in the west. TREATMENT 4-FERTILIZER. Aslow-release nitrogen fertilizer developed for the ' turfgrass industry was used on all fertilized plots. The material is a proprietary form of granulaz urea formaldehyde sold as Blue Chip Nitroform by Nor-Am Chemi~;a1 Co. This product is 38 percent total nitrogen (elemental basis). The material was broadcast evenly by hand over each plot to be fertilized in accordance with the study design. Application rate was SO lb/acre elemental N. The advantage of this type of fertilizer is ' that it will not provide a large initial release of available nitrogen in the soil. The urea ~~ formaldehyde is gradually converted to an available form of nitrogen by soil bact~:ria. SEED MIXTURE. The seed mixture shown in the following table was sown on all plots. Small lots of seed were obtained with the assistance of Wendell Hassell of the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service. The mixture contains five grasses and one ~ legume. Germination and purity test data were not available for all species, so seeding rates were not calculated on a Pure Live Seed basis. A relatively high bulk seeding rate (in terms of seeds per squaze foot) was used to accommodate anticipated low gemtination and establishment by some of the grass species. Seed for each pl~~t was -3-