THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 267 



only for the purpose of taking, under aseptic precautions, a specimen of the disease 

 for record. Even in the inspection of noninfected properties the inspectors are not 

 allowed to brush against, touch or come in contact with the trees. When it is neces- 

 sary to examine the underside of a leaf or spread apart a bunch of leaves for exam- 

 ination a twig is taken from the ground and used for the purpose and the twig is left 

 under that particular tree. Inspectors work in squads of four, one of whom is the 

 foreman in charge of the squad. The foreman is held responsible for close attention 

 to work by the members of his squad and unnecessary conversation is prohibited. 

 The foremen are directly responsible to the district inspector, the territory assigned 

 to the district inspector varying from a few square miles to one or more counties, 

 depending on conditions and the probability of recurring infections. The district 

 ins] tors are directly responsible to the plant commissioner and the general inspec- 

 tor who have general direction of the work throughout the state. 



When an infected tree is discovered, a specimen is taken to supplement the record 

 and as future confirmaton of the inspector's identification. In the event that the 

 inspector's diagnosis is questioned by the grove owner, or if there is any uncertainty 

 in the minds of the inspectors themselves as to the nature of a suspicious condition, 

 a complete laboratory investigation is made which conclusively determines the identity 

 of the condition under observation. A written notice is then served upon the owner 

 to destroy the tree in the prescribed manner within forty-eight hours, this length of 

 time being granted him under the Florida law and regulations in which to appeal 

 from the inspector's order. At the same time the owner's consent for immediate 

 destruction of the infected tree is solicited. This permission is invariably granted 

 so thai as a matter of fact infected trees are usually destroyed within five hours after 

 t lev are discovered. In many instances the owners of infected properties give a 

 standing permit for destruction of all infected trees which may be found and in this 

 case destruction immediately follows the discovery of the infected tree. The tree 

 itself is sprayed with kerosene until the foliage and limbs are dripping and the 

 ground under the tree thoroughly saturated with oil. A burning match is then 

 thrown into the tree and the oil spray continued until all leaves and twigs are con- 

 sumed by the fire and every particle of surface on trunk and limbs thoroughly 

 charred. The ground under the tree and for several feet in all directions is also 

 burned off. The sight of a bearing orange or grapefruit tree being consumed by a 

 roaring flame has brought tears to the eyes of more than one strong man and is a 

 sight never to be forgotten; yet it is the application of such drastic measures to 

 the infected trees that has made eradication possible. 



After the infected tree is burned the trunk and roots are grubbed out, piled on the 

 former site of the tree and burned. Thereafter the ground where the tree stood, 

 and for several Eeel around it. is saturated fo the depth of several inches with a 

 solution of 4 per cent formaldehyde. 



Owners of properties in which infection has been found are required to perform 

 all work, such as fertilizing, hoeing, etc., under the supervision of an inspector of the 

 State riant Board and with the same precautions as to disinfecting as are employed 

 bj lie' inspectors in their work. 



QUARANTINES. 



Under the rules of the State Plant Board, the planting or movement of citrus trees 

 or plants in an infected property is prohibited ami the planting of citrus trees within 

 one-half mile of an infected property is prohibited until such time as the board 

 declares the infected property no longer a "danger center." In practice such declar- 

 ation is not made by the board until it is confident that the disease has been 

 ■ radicated and is not ordinarily made until from ten to eighteen months — depending 

 upon conditions — have elapsed without any infection being found. The movement 

 of any citrus trees from a point within one mile of an infected properly is prohibited. 

 Under the latter provision of the rules all citrus nursery stock is under quarantine 

 when located within one mile of known infection and under another rule is under 

 quarantine if it has been entered by any person, implement or thing which has like- 

 wise entered a canker-infected property. Since (he adoption of these rules in May. 

 1915, no instance has been found of the disease having been disseminated on nursery 

 stock. 



PROGRESS OF ERADICATION. 



The fact that the State Plant Board has declared as beiug no longer "danger 

 centers" 300 properties out of the 44." which have been found infected since May, 

 1914, leaving only 137 properties now classed as infected, indicates the rapidity with 



