54 JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE OF P. R. 



matter will be referred to in greater detail under various of the specific 

 accounts to follow. 



The important topics of picking, packing, and shipping are very 

 directly concerned in their relation to losses sustained in the industry, 

 hut as they are more particularly related from a practical stand- 

 ])oint to blue-mold decay, their consideration is deferred to that 

 point. 



In the foregoing paragraphs an attempt has been made to outline 

 the relation, often indirect, l)ut none the less important, that cul- 

 tural* practices have in the prevention or control of disease. The 

 grower who gives proper attention to this matter has the battle 

 against the disease enemy half won. 



GROVE SANITATION. 



In addition to the above considerations, and as a general measure, 

 aimed more or less at all fungus maladies, certain sanitary precautions 

 are of importance, so important in fact that results can not be ex- 

 pected from specific measures if the general principles of grove 

 hygiene are neglected. Briefly these are the removal, by pruning 

 or otherwise, of all fungus-infected material, or that which in the 

 usual course of events would become infected, and the prevention of 

 reinfection by spores or other fungus parts brought in on field crates, 

 wagons, 01" by implements used in cultivation. 



Not only should all prunings be removed or burned, but all 

 dropped fruit should be promptly disposed of. This material has 

 a recognized fertilizing value, and if properly handled, can be used 

 to advantage. In California prunings are sometimes run through 

 l)ortable cutting luachines, and cut into small pieces easily incor- 

 ]>Orated with the soil. If no virulent diseases are present, this 

 method is unobjectionable and could be adopted here. Drops are 

 often buried in the grove, but are so poorly covered that at the first 

 cultivation or even before, they are again exposed, and generally at 

 a time when the rot fungi are sporulating freely. A deep pit at the 

 edge of the grove or near the packing-house is the preferable manner, 

 all things considered, for disposing of worthless fruit. 



Simple quarantine measures should be devised to keep out any 

 diseases that have not yet made an entrance, but which are present 

 in neighboring groves. Field crates, wagons, tools, or other items 

 of equipment sliould not be allowed to enter from infected groves. 

 This matter becomes of more importance at the present day when 

 the sound principle of building cominunity packiTig-houses is gain- 



