THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 399 



Unfortunately it is seldom given to any of us to foresee the particular form in which 

 calamity proposes to strike. Had it been possible for the fruit grower of Florida a 

 tew years ago to look into the future and see his trees attacked by a disease so 

 destructive as to make him willingly consent to the removal of all trees found infected 

 in the hope of saving the remainder, how long do you think it would have taken him 

 in devise a means whereby with only a small part of the energy, time and money 

 which has subsequently been spent, another force of men could have been organized 

 and trained into an efficient and thorough quarantine service having as its duty the 

 exclusion of just such enemies to his continued prosperity as is citrus canker. 



It is true, citrus canker was an unknown disease in 1910 when the nursery stock 

 on which it was introduced into Florida crossed the state line and was set out in the 

 citrus growing sections of the state. Granting as a possibility, what is by no means 

 a probability that the trees carrying this disease might have passed the inspection of 

 qualified inspectors there would still remain an item of inestimable value for the 

 work of eradication in the records showing the number of such trees imported, from 

 whence they came and where they found their ultimate destination. Had this infor- 

 mation been available for immediate use by the citrus canker eradication forces of 

 Florida in the early days of the campaign the saving in energy, time and money would 

 have many times over offset the cost of maintenance of the quarantine service. 



A. S. Hoyt. 



