27 



disease is very largely overlooked from the fact that it occurs 

 upon the smaller twigs and is often attributed to other diseases, as 

 previously stated. Wherever pruning is practised the infected 

 branches are usually cut off before the nature of the disease be- 

 comes fully apparent. 



VARIETIES ATTACKED. 

 All varieties and species of citrus trees and fruits cultivated in 

 Florida are more or less subject to attack. Since the parts attacked 

 and the parts most greatly damaged differ considerably, the 

 measures adopted for relief must be varied according to the dif- 

 ferent diseased conditions. 



LIME. 



ANTHRACNOSE. 



The lime is the most severely attacked of the citrus species. It 

 sustains its greatest loss during the time of most rapid growth, 

 which is usually during the spring and early summer. The effect 

 of the fungus in the young growing shoots is somewhat peculiar, 

 as it resembles the result of an attack from biting insects, and by 

 many persons it is attributed to this cause. 



The infection usually takes place at the axil of a leaf or some 

 other place where the spores may find lodgment, and the fungus 

 then cuts off the stem, causing the upper part to fall over and hang 

 lifeless beside the other portion, or it may fall away ; in this man- 

 ner simulating the effects of insect depredations. In such cases 

 gum quickly forms at the wound and prevents the fungus from 

 forcing its way down the twig. 



Besides the young growing twigs and leaves, the blossoms, the 

 unopened buds, and the young fruit are attacked. When the fun- 

 gus attacks an unopened bud the latter fails to develop and the 

 entire outer portion becomes covered with spores. In the opened 

 blossom the common point of attack is the stigmatic surface of the 

 pistil. The fungus grows in the stigma and finally destroys the 

 entire fruit ; this, however, usually falls off before the fungus has 

 time to penetrate below the calyx. By attacking the blossoms the 

 fungus may render the whole tree entirely fruitless, the calyxes 

 remaining until the normal time of ripening, giving the branch a 

 very peculiar appearance. 



In addition to attacking the open bud, the spores frequently find 

 a place for infection in the nectaries. The development of the 

 fungus here causes the fruit to fall, and the resulting appearance 

 is much the same as when the infection took place in the stigma. 



WITHER-TIP. 



When the fungus gains entrance from the terminal bud or from 

 leaf infection the formation of the gum previously mentioned does 

 not take place, and the disease may extend down the twig, result- 

 ing in a case of wither-tip similar to that encountered in other 

 species of citrus. 



FRUIT CANKER. 



If the bloom escapes, the young fruit may be attacked at al- 



