On the Treatment of Soils by 

 Carbon Bisulphide. 



Bj 

 T. Takeuchi. 



College of Agriculture and Forestry, Kagoshitna. 



For the passed ten years many experiments have been 

 described, that demonstrated a beneficial effect upon the yield 

 of crops when the soils were treated with disinfectants. In 

 most of these cases carbon bisulphide had been applied. 

 Recently however Hiltner has observed that carbolineum^^ was 

 still superior to carbon bisulphide, but its application should 

 take place at least four months before sowing or planting, or 

 in the previous autumn. 



The explanations thus far given for the phenomenon differ, 

 but so much is surely established that by the use of disin- 

 fectants many organisms present in the soils are killed — bacteria, 

 infusoria, worms also parasitic organisms — and thus much 

 nitrogenous material becomes available, also phosphate of 

 potassium. ^^ In consequence the bacterial mass depressed at 

 first, will increase later on in a much higher measure as they 

 had been present before, as soon as the disinfectant material 

 has volatilised or been washed out or destroyed in one way 

 or other. A great part however of the nitrogen and of potas- 

 sium phosphate liberated will benefit the roots of crops grown 

 on that soil. 



When soils are manured for many years or decades or even 

 centuries with rich nitrogenous manures — as in Japan — a large 



1. Carbolineum is cheaper than carbon bisulphide and meor convenient for trans- 

 porting and keeping. 100 kilo cost 10-15 yen. It is a product of fractional ccal lar 

 distillation and consists of a mixture of various phenols with hydrocarbons. It is 

 imported into Japan by Weinberger & Co. in Yokohama. 



2. Cf. O. LoEW and K. Aso, Bulletin, College of Agriculture, Tokyo, Vol. VIT., 

 p. 448. -. ^ 



