THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 265 



The emergency created by the occurrence of citrus canker was largely responsible 

 for the passage of the Florida Plant Act in April, 1915, this act carrying with it an 

 appropriation of $125,000 for eradication of the disease. This was followed, on 

 February 2S. 1916, by a congressional appropriation of $550,000 for canker eradica- 

 tion in the United States. Since the latter date the Bureau of Plant Industry of 

 the Department of Agriculture has cooperated in the eradication work in all of the 

 states affected. 



The development of the eradication work has been so rapid and extensive that in 

 an article of limited length one can give no more than greatly condensed summaries. 

 In the first place there has not been nearly as much citrus canker in Florida as the 

 public in other states has come to believe. Since the beginning of the eradication 

 work in May, 1914, the disease has been found in a total of but 443 properties. The 

 number of commercial grove properties in the state is probably not less than 50,000, 

 so it is seen at once that no considerable area, even in the aggregate, has been allowed 

 to become infected. Of the 443 properties which have been infected the quarantine 

 has been raised on 300, leaving but 137 properties now classed as "infected." Of 

 these 137, many have shown no infection for several months. The number of 

 infected grove trees found in Florida from May, 1914, to February 28. 1917, was 

 13,354 : the commercial plantings of the state aggregate in the vicinity of twenty-one 

 million trees. Unfortunately, certain real estate and "development" interests, in 

 their anxiety to promote sales, made the mistake of trying to deny the existence of 

 any canker in Florida and thus gave impetus to exaggerated rumors which did incal- 

 culably more damage than plain statements of the truth would have done. Florida 

 citrus growers, while realizing that canker uncontrolled would wipe out their 

 industry, now feel that the enemy has been effectually bottled up and that his extinc- 

 tion is but a matter of months. The presence in the state of less than one hundred 

 forty properties which are classed as infected has no perceptible effect upon either 

 real estate values or upon the development of new plantings. 



Under the nursery inspection system maintained by the Florida Plant Board, an 

 accurate record is kept of the sale and movement of all nursery stock. The records 

 of the nursery inspector show that 931,101 citrus trees were sold and planted out in 

 Florida during the fiscal year which ended April 30, 1910. The new plantings 

 during this year alone were therefore in the neighborhood of 13,000 acres — ample 

 evidence that citrus canker is not now interfering with the development of the citrus 

 industry in Florida. 



METHOD OF ERADICATION. 



The present method of eradication may be described as the sum total of three 

 years' experience, during which time ineffective steps have been eliminated and 

 effective ones improved upon and elaborated. For its success it depends upon three 

 things : 



First — a periodical, close inspection of all trees in properties which have been 

 exposed to danger of infection, by trained inspectors capable of detecting the disease 

 upon its very first appearance. 



Second — The immediate destruction of the infected trees before opportunity is 

 afforded for spread of the infection ; and 



Third — The rigid practice of sanitary and disinfecting measures in every operation, 

 alike ty inspectors and owners, in the infected and exposed properties. 



Inspectors have been trained, for the most part, by serving apprenticeships under 

 experienced men. This training has been supplemented by schools of instruction and 

 periodical examinations. Only men of the highest moral and intellectual type avail- 

 able have been employed, and one requisite for the inspector is keen eyesight. The 

 skill attained by some of the inspectors is little short of marvelous. Inspectors have 

 been known to "pick up" minute canker infections on the topmost leaves of trees 

 from twenty to thirty feet in height. 



While engaged in inspection work the men wear union suits of white cloth which 

 cover their other clothing; also cloth hats, high shoes and canvas leggings. Suit, 

 hat and leggings are disinfected by dipping in corrosive sublimate solution, one part 

 to one thousand, shoes are disinfected by stepping into the disinfectant, and face, arms 

 and hands by washing with the solution both before and after inspecting each 

 property. This inspection outfit and the disinfecting precautions are employed in 

 all inspection work, even in properties many miles removed from any known center 

 of infection. When an infected tree is discovered the inspector disinfects his entire 

 suit and outfit before proceeding further, being allowed to touch the infected tree 



