32 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
never, occurs on trees under six years of 
age, and that the possibility of infection 
occurs at the time of setting the tree out, 
it is readily seen that to prove any particu¬ 
lar theory in regard to the matter will re¬ 
quire years of awiting. I am, however,* 
more hopeful of finding a practicable 
remedy for this disease than I have been 
at any time previous to this. Just what 
the line of treatment may be, and just 
what precautionary measures must be 
taken, I am yet unprepared to say. I may, 
however, be permitted to say that the in¬ 
vestigations in progress are indicative of 
finally securing a favorable and practic¬ 
able remedy. 
Scaly Bark of Orange Trees. 
This disease of the orange tree has been 
reported quite a number of times in the 
last three or four years, and specimens 
have been sent a time or two very recently. 
The name describes the disease fairly 
well. An attack of this disease causes the 
bark to peel off and look very shaggy and 
scaly. This, of course, is very unusual 
for citrus trees, and consequently is 
noticed at once. When anything 
of this kind occurs on the young¬ 
er limbs the disease causes round¬ 
ish or oblong brownish blotches, 
varying in size from one-fourth 
of an inch long to sometimes three or four 
inches long. Mrs. Flora W. Patterson, 
Mycologist in the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, has identified the fungus as belong¬ 
ing to the genus Hysterographjum. 
As yet we know no convenient and 
practicable remedy, consequently where it 
occurs on the small twigs of the tree the 
orange grower will find it prudent to cut 
out the disease and burn it. 
Mention is made of this disease in this 
place to keep people on the lookout for the 
trouble, and so cut off its ravages in its 
incipiency. It very frequently occurs 
that a most innocent looking species 
causes a very considerable damage. As 
yet no serious consequences have fol¬ 
lowed an attack of this disease. 
Report by J* J* Beers* 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
My first recollection of the war between 
man and the insect enemies of the orange 
was about twenty-five years ago. My 
father came to Florida from Pennsylvania 
in June 1878 and set the first tree the fol¬ 
lowing winter and a very short time after 
that the fight commenced. I recall seeing 
boxes of Whale Oil Soap in the barn and 
seeing the wash-boiler full of water and 
tobacco stems lx)iling on the kitchen stove. 
Don’t you know, friends, that my mother 
was a good-natured woman to stand that ? 
When the stock solution was ready, a jug 
full was taken to the grove and, while a 
boy carried water from a nearby pond or 
lake, my father added a little of the stock 
from the jug and on his knees with a 
scrubbing brush washed the bodies and 
even the faces and hands of the little trees. 
He soon discovered, however, that the bark 
on the trees was getting hard and the trees 
stunted and in casting about for a better 
method, found a brass syringe, holding 
about a quart, with fine holes for an out¬ 
let, with which the trees were sprayed. 
