Process of preparing a soil conditioner from subdivided bark

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF PREPARING A SOLID CONDITIONER CONSISTING OF SUBDIVIDED BARK COVERED AND IMPREGNATED WITH A MICROBIOLOGICAL GROWTH, THE STEPS CONSISTING OF FORMING A BED OF SUBDIVIDED BARK, TRICKLING THROUGH SAID BED OF BARK IN THE PRESENCE OF AIR AND SLIME-PRODUCING ORGANISMS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALGAE, FUNGI AND BACTERIA, A CLARIFIED WASTE LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF UNDISSOLVED SOLIDS AND HAVING A HIGH DEMAND FOR OXYGEN BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE THEREIN OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC NUTRIENTS FOR MICROORGANISMS REQUIRING OXYGEN FOR THEIR METABOLISM, SAID WASTE LIQUID BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SEWAGE EFFLUENT AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES CONTAINING DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A PH WITHIN THE RANGE OF 6.5-9.5, SAID WASTE LIQUID ALSO CONTAINING DISSOLVED NITROGEN COMPOUNDS NECESSARY FOR THE GROWTH OF SLIME-PRODUCING ORGANISMS, SAID WASTE LIQUID BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID BED UNTIL SAID BARK BECOMES COVERED AND IMPREGNATED WITH A TIGHTLY ADHERENT SLIME OF HIGH NITROGEN CONTENT PRODUCED BY THE GROWTH OF THE SLIMEPRODUCING ORGANISMS UTILIZING THE NUTRIENTS DISSOLVED IN SAID WASTE LIQUID, AND PARTIALLY DRYING AND CURING SAID SLIME COVERED AND IMPREGNATED BARK.