FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
45 
easily be done if we had an appropriation 
from the state, or some income more than 
we have at present; but we have had to 
economize in every direction. 
Mr. Long-ley—As far as my experience 
is concerned, I believe that all of the or¬ 
ange growers here and elsewhere would 
be willing to pay a bonus for just such 
information. The information is sent out 
all over the country that we will have an 
enormous crop of fruit by parties bent 
on depressing the price of our fruit. I 
have no doubt but that every orange 
grower has lost hundreds of dollars every 
year. If we assess every member five 
dollars it would pay big to get just that 
information. 
Mr. McLane—This is a very important 
question, and I move that the president 
appoint a committee of five gentlemen 
whose duty it shall be tO' formulate a 
plan to present to this body tomorrow by 
which statistics can be secured. I think 
that everybody will agree that it is a 
matter of vital importance; not only the 
men who produce the fruit, but the men 
who buy it should have some intelligent 
idea. We know that every other crop 
produced in the United States is estimat¬ 
ed. I make that motion and hope some¬ 
body will second it. 
Motioif seconded. 
Mr. Painter—While on this subject I 
wish to state that I undertook last year 
to get up information just like what you 
are talking about now. I sent out over 
12,000 letters, addressed to growers all 
over the state, asking themi for the very 
information that you are seeking for. 
How many replies do you think I got out 
of that 12,000? Just 1,200. The trouble 
is to get the information from the grower. 
They seem to be afraid to give the in¬ 
formation out, and seem to want to make 
you think they have a big crop, whether 
they have or not. 
Mr. Phillips—I can readily appreciate 
that very few people.will answer ques¬ 
tions like those, and realize how very hard 
it is to get this information. My sug¬ 
gestion is to get conservative business 
men, pay them for their time and let them 
go over the counties and get this informa¬ 
tion from an unprejudiced standpoint. 
Not one man in a hundred would refuse 
to let him estimate his crop. Not to have 
this estimate costs the state of Florida 
hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
Mr. McLain—The motion is already 
before the meeting that a committee of 
five be appointed to formulate and pre¬ 
sent to this body a plan whereby this in¬ 
formation can be secured. I call for the 
question. 
Motion put and carried. 
Mr. Cribb—^^There is a doubt in my 
mind if this information would be worth 
anything to us. I never saw an orange 
grower who could estimate his crop with¬ 
in ten or fifteen per cent. 
Prof. Rolfs—The following committee 
is appointed: P. Phillips, A. H. Brown 
and Wm. C. Richardson. 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. 
Prof. Rolfs—The matter of citrus dis¬ 
eases being up for discussion, I wish to 
make a few remarks in connection with 
this subject. The most serious disease 
and the most peculiar one that we have 
had anything to do with recently is the 
one which causes withertip in citrus. The 
causative agent here is colletorichum 
gloeosporiodes. This species of fungus 
is probably the same as the one that oc¬ 
curs on the mango and the avocado; a 
