40 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
on this line. It may be due to location, 
soil, or the shell. 
Mr. Fairbanks.—Is there any way of 
producing and developing non-resisting 
trees ? 
Mr. Brown.—It may be possible that 
there are some varieties of grapefruit 
that are more resistent than others. 
President McCarty.—This is a matter 
worthy of study. I hope something may 
be attempted along this line. I think it 
probable that something can be done, but 
I cannot tell how long it will take. 
Mr. Brown—There is one other dis¬ 
ease, that is withertip: I do not know 
how many here are familiar with it. If 
there are those*Fere who know anything 
about the withertip, I will beg to hear 
from them. 
Prof. Rolfs.—I have been studying the 
disease (withertip) for the last four 
years, and have also treated groves vary¬ 
ing in size from a few trees up to over 
twenty acres in extent. The methods of 
procedure are pretty thoroughly worked 
out. A bulletin on this subject was pub¬ 
lished from the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, Wasington, D. C., and a revised 
edition of this bulletin is now being pre¬ 
pared. 
In addition to my own experience in 
treating this disease, I have given advice 
to many grove owners and have watched 
the application of this advice. Where the 
work is done thoroughly and followed 
up conscientiously the results have always 
been satisfactory. A number of groves 
that were treated according to advice, and 
were very badly infected with the disease, 
are now practically free. As there are a 
number of men present who have had 
practical experience in combating with 
this disease, I should like to hear from 
them. 
Mr. Phelps.—I have several groves 
that have been badly effected by this 
withertip; my fruit dropped badly and I 
wrote to Professor Rolfs but did not hear 
from him promptly, so I wrote to a spray¬ 
er and asked about inoculating with blue- 
stone. I asked him if it would not have 
the same effect as spraying. I urged 
inoculating, mixing equal parts of blue 
stone and air slacked lime. I have been 
doing this and find that after it has been 
in about ten days or two weeks there is a 
great deal of gum coming out. That is 
as far as I have gotten and I do not know 
what the effects will be. 
Mr. Hart.—Before we leave the mat¬ 
ter of diseases and insects there is a very 
important matter. I am losing trees 
briefly. A year ago I introduced a reso¬ 
lution asking that we get more assistance 
from the Agricultural Department in the 
study of blight, I took it up with Mr. 
Wilson who promised to help us if we 
could get in shape to receive it. I want to 
put in the same resolution. This is an 
important matter. I am losing trees 
now that would bear ten or twelve boxes 
each year, and I am putting in new trees 
in each place and have a tree growing 
wherever there is a place for it, but my 
grove is uneven, I am not alone in this 
experience; this disease is all over the 
State but we do not know much about it 
yet and it is something we should look 
after. 
Mr. Painter.—Your Secretary present¬ 
ed the resolution to Secretary Wilson in 
person, Mr. Wilson said he would be 
glad to do more than they were doing if 
he could but that all of their appropria¬ 
tion for this class of work had been used 
up. I am confident the only way we can 
get an appropriation for this work is to 
take it up with our Senators and Repre¬ 
sentatives and get them to ask for an ap¬ 
propriation. 
