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Cuba is so close to, and in past years received so much 

 citrus stock from Florida that it was early feared that the 

 disease had been introduced into Cuba. To ascertain whether tSiis 

 were so the Secjretary of Agriculture Comerce and Labor in 1914 

 authorized the Entomologist and the Pathologist to make an 

 inspection of the entire Island. 



The Florida people have naturally taken a good deal of 

 interest in this question, as should the citrus caniker be found 

 here it would be necessary for Florida to quarantiile Cuban oran- 

 ges and grapefruit, as has already been done with citrus plants. 

 • The following letter from the Plant Commissioner will serve 

 to #iow the interest of the Flprida .people, and. the reply to the 

 letter will give an idea as to the present conditions in Cuba so 

 ■far as the citrus canker is concerned. 



I»etter from Wilmon Newell, Plant Commissioner, Florida, to J. E. Johns- 

 ton, June 27, 1916. 



I am writing to inquire whether any systematic steps have been 

 taken in Cuba to determine whether or not citrus canker occurs there, 

 iind whether its distribution has been determined. We have reason 

 for believing that this disease does occur in Cuba. Griffing Bros, 

 Nursery at McClenny and Miami, Florida during 1913 - 14 and 

 1914 - 15, sent out shipments throughout Florida and the Gulf States, 

 many of which have since developed infection. We know that this 

 firm at the same time shipped a considerable number of trees to 

 Cuba, and we have been told that the firm known as Armand y 

 Ilermanos at Marianao, Havana, received and distributed over the 

 Island of Cuba in the neighborhood of 2700 trees from Griffing Bros. 

 Nursery. Of the trees shipped in from Florida during the same period, 

 about one and one-half percent have since developed canker infection. 

 In other words, wherever there are 100 of these trees, there is an 

 even chance of canker existing and if there are about 30 or 40 to one, 

 that canker occurs on some of them. 



It has been impossible for us to find out what disposition the 

 above firm made of , these trees, as this firm acted as dealer only and 

 the trees were supposed to have been distributed in small lots to any 

 parties who desired them. I would be glad to know whether any in- 

 vestigations have been made by the government along this line and 

 what the results were. The possibility of canker infections coming to 

 us from Cuba seems to be a very real danger, and even though we 

 do not now admit any citrus nursery stock from Cuba, there is a 

 possibility of its coming to Florida on shipments of fruits. 



We would not wish to make our quarantine against Cuba any 

 stricter than it is at present, unless convinced that the Cuban author- 

 ities are neglecting to use proper effort and diligence in locating and 

 controlling any canker infections Which may occur on the Island. 



