THE ANTIZYMOTIC ACTION OF A HARMFUL SOIL 



CONSTITUENT: SALICYLIC ALDEHYDE 



AND MANNITE 



J. J. SKINNER 

 Bureau of Soils, Washington, D. C. 



In an investigation of the soils on the Mount Vernon estate, 

 Virginia, several organic compounds were isolated and identified 1 

 in a sample taken in the flower garden from among the box 

 hedges. Two of the compounds isolated are salicylic aldehyde 

 C 6 H 4 .OH.COH and mannite C 6 Hi40 6 . The effect of these com- 

 pounds on growth have been studied. The salicylic aldehyde 

 has proven to be very harmful to plants, grown in nutrient 

 solutions, in soils in pots and in the field. 2 



The subject of this paper is concerned with the effect of man- 

 nite on growth and the circumstances under which it exists in 

 soils. This sugar alcohol was found in the Mount Vernon soil 

 in an amount of about 500 lbs. per acre. Mannite can readily 

 be produced by certain soil fungi, yet it is remarkable that it 

 can persist in soils for it is a very unstable compound, being an 

 excellent medium for the development of bacteria. Its effect 

 on growth was studied in the green-house and some indications 

 of its physiological action obtained but no very definite results 

 were secured, because of the fact that the mannite solutions 

 with the fertilizer salts were good media for the development of 

 bacteria. 



The tests were made by growing wheat seedlings in distilled 

 water culture and in nutrient solutions. Ten plants were grow» 

 in each bottle holding 250 cc. of solution. The seedlings were 



1 Shorey, E. C, Some organic soil constituents. Bull. 88, Bureau of Soils, 

 U. S. Dept. Agric. (1913). 



2 Schreiner, 0. and Skinner, J. J., Harmful effects of aldehydes in soils, Bull. 

 108, U. S. Dept. Agric. (1914). 



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