1919] 



SC11MITZ STUDIES IN THE DECAY OF "WOOD 109 



distilled water to remove all traces of chlorine. The water 

 was filtered off with a Buchner's funnel and the cellulose 

 washed repeatedly. After washing, it was transferred to a 

 liter flask containing 500 cc. of distilled water, and sterilized. 



Cotton cellulose was prepared in the same manner as the 

 above. 



The wood cellulose was prepared by treating a quantity of 

 fine shavings of the wood in question with a solution composed 

 of 30 gms. of potassium chlorate dissolved in 520 cc. of nitric 

 acid (sp. gr. 1.1). The shavings were added slowly to the solu- 

 tion while the flask was immersed in ice water to prevent ex- 

 cessive heating. After the addition of the shavings the mix- 

 ture was kept cool for four to five weeks when the shavings 

 were well washed and then dissolved in Schweitzer's solution 

 in the same manner as was the filter-paper and the cotton. 



Cellulose agar was prepared by adding about 1 per cent (by 

 weight) of the precipitated celluloses to a mineral nutrient 

 solution having the following composition : 



Monopotassium phosphate 1 gm. 



Magnesium sulphate 



Sodium chloride 



Ammonium sulphate 



Calcium carbonate 2 gms. 



Distilled water 1000 cc. 



Twenty gms. of agar were added to a mixture containing 500 

 cc. of the above solution and 500 cc. of the cellulose suspension. 

 It is evident that the cellulose present in media made up in 

 this manner is the only source of carbon. Growth of 

 ism, therefore, on the medium may be taken as an 



1 gm. 

 1 gm. 

 1 gm. 



& 



of 



3 power to utilize cellulose. Table xn indi< 

 of the attempts to isolate cellulose-dissolvin 



from decaying wood. The cellulose agar plates were kept un 

 der observation from two to three weeks at room temperature 

 In no case was a bacterial form found on any of the cellulose 

 agars. The fact that none developed, however, does not pre 

 elude the possibility of their presence on the decaying wood 

 It is a known fact that some organisms require the present 



