yellowing, curling and subsequent falling of the leaves. This pest 

 threatens to injure not alone the citrus plants but also many 

 other kinds o£ fruit trees. In addition to these pests there are 

 insects and diseases in Florida on the north, in Jamaica on th& 

 south, in Mexico on the west, and in many other places : insects 

 and pests which do not yet exist in Cuba, which should be 

 prevented entrance by every possible means. 



Remedies for the Bu'drot of the coconut and the 'banana 

 disease have been sought in vain for many years by investigators 

 of many countries. Careful researches (have revealed the cause 

 and nature of these diseases, and moreover have revealed the 

 fact that neither of these diseases can toe cured by direct treat- 

 ment. Both of these diseases can, however, be avoided to a great 

 extent by the destruction of diseased material. 



Without question the_two most important problems in the 

 control of insect pests and plant diseases in our country is the 

 destruction of the existing insects and idiseased plants, and the 

 prevention of new importations of msects and diseases. The des- 

 truction of diseased material and of insects can be aceomplis'he'd 

 by any one, but it is necessary for the iGovermnent as a whole 

 to educate the people individually in these methods of control. 

 It is necessary for the Government to see that the people attend 

 to this matter in the case' of hi^ly infectious diseases like the 

 Budrot of the coconut and the banana disease, and in some cases 

 to aid in this work itself. The matter of preventing the ship- 

 ment of diseased or infested plants from one part of the Island 

 to another, or from a foreign country into Cuba, will have to be 

 carried out largely hy the Government. 



iFor these reasons, and to attend to these problems, the 

 President of Cmba at the request of the Secretary of Agriculture 

 by decree created the Commission of Plant Sanitation. 



FCBMATIO'N OF THE CO'MMISSION. 



DECREE 838. 



Whereas in different parts of the Republic there have appeared 

 diseases of plants, mostly imported from other countries, the existence 

 of these having been demonstrated in the Province of Oriente as 

 affecting the orange groves and the coconut plantations, and in the 

 Provinces of Havana and Pinar del Rio the banana plantations, etc. 



In consideration of the fact that it is indispensable, in preventing 

 the spread of these diseases to all the national territory with serious 

 damage to our agriculture and provoking quarantine in those countries 

 with which we have constant commerce, to take all measures to combat 

 these plagues and avoid diseases that might be imported. 



