• . 45 



appeared in Portugal in 1845, in Hyeres in 1851 (8), in Lago 

 di Grarda in 1855, and in Messina in 1863. According to 

 Briosi (9), the disease fruit first appeared in Sicily in 1862, 

 and afterwards spread to Naples, Liguria, and Lago di Grardo, 

 everywhere destroying orange and lemon trees by thousands. 

 Professor Wohler mentioned in Briosi's monograph referred to 

 in foot-note, found the malady very destructive on the Balearic 

 Islands in 1871. Statements differ in regard to the first 

 appearance of the disease in Florida, but it seems to have been 

 noted here some eighteen or twenty years ago. Dr. A.. H. 

 Curtis (10) says: "It appeared about nineteen years ago, 

 though few people remember to have observed it earlier than 

 1880." The disease is widely distributed in Florida and has 

 by no means run out, but on the contrary, seems to be gradually 

 spreading. It has also appeared in Louisiana and California, 

 where, in places, it is said to be very destructive. 



The damage caused by foot- rot is very great, and without 

 question much more than that caused by any other orange 

 disease. The first season after the trees are attacked they 

 may bear an unsually large crop of fruit, but this is generally 

 the last full crop produced. By the next season the tree is 

 either killed or else so reduced that it cannot support much 

 fruit. Sometimes trees are nearly girdled in the space of a 

 few months. Whole groves have been entirely destroyed in 

 the course of a few years. Briosi describes its effects in Italy 

 and Sicily as being most serious ; he estimates the damage 

 done in Italy from 1862 to 1H78 at more than $2,000,000. In 

 Florida many fine bearing groves have been almost totally 

 destroyed in the course of a few years, but the malady does 

 not appear to be so severe here as in some foreign countries. 

 The annual damage it causes in Florida is estimated at about 

 $100,000. 



Symptoms. — The first symptom of foot-rot is an abundant 

 exudation of drops of gum on the trunk of the tree near the 

 base. This occurs over a limited portion or the bark in the 

 first stages of the disease, and may appear in one or several 

 distinct patches. In this stage the bark will be found to be 

 discoloured, having become brownish, and to contain numerous 



(8) Rendu, M. V., Notes sur la maladie des oranges d'Hyeres, Extrait, 

 (Commissionaires Jussieu, Gaudichaud, Decaisne), Compt. Rend, t 33, 

 1851, p.p. 681-683. 



(9) Briosi Giovanni, Intorno al mal di gomma degli agrumi (Fusis- 

 porium limoni Briosi), Atti della R., Acad, dei Lincei, Roma, ser, 3a, Vol. 

 II. ; Memoria della classe di science fisiche ecc, meeting of May 5, 1878, 

 p.p. 485-196. 



(10) Curtis, A. H., sore shin or gum disease (Pla. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 

 2, June, 1888, p.p. 29-35. 



