42 CITRUS TREES AND THEIR DISEASES 



Symptom No. 2. Examine your soil close up to the 

 body of the tree. Take a handful of soil six inches 

 deep close to the body of the tree and place in a glass 

 of water. Let stand thirty-six hours, then pour the 

 water off and smell the soil. If it smells sour, musty 

 and moldy this would indicate sour sap has been raised. 



Symptom No. 3. To determine gum disease, put 

 your hand on the body of the tree; feel if the bark 

 has become tightened; notice closely if any checks or 

 pockets in the bark are noticeable. Let your hand 

 remain on the body of the tree until the heat has 

 gone out of your hand ; if the body sends a cold sensa- 

 tion, this would indicate that your tree is not in bad 

 condition. If there is no coolness, but the bark feels 

 luke warm and lifeless, this would indicate that the 

 outer, or bark, cell saps are not working. This same 

 symptom applies to scaley bark. Another symptom 

 that follows this is the light color that the foliage 

 takes on, with frequent yellow leaves showing up. 



Symptoms of health: First; a real cold sensa- 

 tion to the hand from the body. Second; a smooth 

 skin or bark on both body and branches. Third; 

 wide or broad, black, stiff, starchy foliage. Fourth; 

 when leaf will bend and when put together will crack 

 like a ripe watermelon, this denotes health and indi- 

 cates that the foliage is drawing its share of nitrogen 

 from the air; also denotes that the heart or inner 

 sap is in good condition and able to throw off all im- 

 purities and stand a strong attack from the enemy. 



Notify the physician as to any of the above con- 

 ditions and free communication will at once begin. 



