38 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
n 
tention has been paid to blight, I am very 
much interested in the solution of the 
question of blight. Being desirous of see¬ 
ing an effective remedy for this tree 
disease, I offer the following resolutions 
which I trust the society may see fit to 
adopt. 
The resolutions were adopted and are as 
follows: 
Whereas, The orange growers of 
Florida are annually suffering the loss of 
many thousands of dollars in the reduc¬ 
tion of their fruit crop and still more in 
the market value of their groves through 
a disease known as orange tree blight, 
which usually selects the largest and most 
productive trees for attack; and 
Whereas, Though the desease has 
been carefully studied for many years by 
very able Department experts, it is not yer 
well enough known to allow of its positive 
identification, in many cases, before the 
second or third year after its appearance, 
while investigations pretty surely prove 
that the disease is contagious, which 
makes each diseased tree a nucleus from 
which it is carried to others when caring 
for or working the grove; and 
Whereas, Progress has been made 
that encourages the belief that if ad¬ 
ditional help with special fitness can be 
sent here and allowed to devote their 
whole time to assisting in this select work, 
we have reason to hope that the cause 
may be found for it; therefore, be it 
Pesolved, That the Secretary of this 
society be instructed to correspond with 
the Florida Representatives in Washing¬ 
ton and earnestly request them to call 
upon the Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. 
Wilson, and urge upon him the import¬ 
ance of this work and the pressing need 
that we feel for further assitance from his 
Department. Be it further 
Resolved, That each member of this 
society exert his or her infiuence as an in¬ 
dividual to secure increased appropriation 
for this work and its more vigorous prose¬ 
cution. . 
Member—^If I am correctly in¬ 
formed, and I believe I am, the 
Department of Agriculture at Wash¬ 
ington has always been able, ready and 
willing to lend any assistance within 
the power of the government to promote 
the interests of like societies in th^ 
various States, in never-ceasing scien¬ 
tific experiments to exterminate insects 
and eradicate disease from useful plant 
life. I think it all comes under the generic 
head of forestry preservation. However 
that may be, I know that the National 
Government has always met the various 
States half way in the matter of expense 
in this direction, that wherever the State 
will spend a dollar the Government will 
spend one in intelligent effort to this end, 
it therefore seems to me, Mr. President, 
that we should have the benefit of this 
National aid in this State, in order that 
the horticulturist of this State may have 
the benefit of all blight preventatives, the 
culture spore and fungus processes, scien¬ 
tific spraying as well as all known scien¬ 
tific research to stop the ravages of these 
diseases and insects of whatever kind. I 
trust that our legislative committee will 
hold this matter in mind and use their best 
endeavor to secure for the State her pro¬ 
rata share of this experimental scientific 
work. 
The President—The remarks of the 
member are timely^the chair has no doubt 
the special legislative committee will take 
the matter in charge and secure for the 
State these considerations. 
