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In celebration of little-known MOTHER-type folks from all over.

BILL BLACK:HAIR RECYCLER

Can human hair help solve the world's food supply problem? St. Louis barber Bill Black thinks so . . . but what on earth does he have in mind? "Hair is the best, most concentrated natural plant fertilizer you can find on this planet," says Mr. Black. "I've been using the stuff on my philodendrons and vegetables for years. It's not only high in protein and nitrogen content, but human hair contains 2? minerals and trace elements as well!"

Some folks may well think Bill is a little wiggy when he makes such statements, but others believe he's on to something really big. In fact, for the past year Mr. Black has been packaging and successfully selling his barbershop floor sweepings to a steadily growing number of believers.

"If the clippings from every shop were regularly applied to a compost heap," Bill Black tells them, "an enormous amount of nitrogen could be saved . . . since six to seven pounds of hair contain one pound of nitrogen, or about the same amount of nitrogen as 100 to 200 pounds of cow manure."

Mr. Black has been researching the chemical makeup of human hair for over three years and comparing his data with agricultural reports on the effectiveness of various commercial soil supplements. And his study has led him to make the following rather startling statement: "Why, the hair thrown away by New York barbers alone could supply the entire fertilizer needs for ail of India! "

While experimenting with his highpowered plant food, Mr. Black has discovered that hair is an unusually good insulation material too. "But of course you'd expect it to be a good insulator," he says, "that's why it's growing on the human body in the first place! "

Another point: Even if you don't plan to use barber clippings in your attic next winter or on your garden this summer, be careful how you discard them. "Whatever you do . . . don't burn those clippings," Mr. Black warns. "The burning of human hair pollutes the air with extremely toxic gases. Unfortunately, that's the way many large cities get rid of it-in huge garbage incinerators-but they're making a big mistake."

Bill Black isn't waiting around for some university or government agency to investigate his theories. He's had enough experience with hair as fertilizer-using it on plants around his home and office-to be convinced he's right. And so, every evening, Bill sweeps his barber shop floor . . . sterilizes his collection of clippings . . . mixes it with sand and organic compounds . . . then bags and labels the concoction under the brand name Fert-HAIR-Lizer!

How do Mr. Black's customers feel about having their locks packaged and sold? "Most of them like the idea," he reports. "It's kinda like being reincarnated . . . I just hope they don't start charging me for a haircut! "-Elizabeth Brown.

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