40 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
troubles. It is probable that before such 
a program can be perfected, we will have 
to find some spraying solutions other than 
those we have at hand. 
And finally, we should know more 
about the tree itself. The saying “Man, 
know thyself” should be changed to 
“Grower, know your tree.” There is 
needed more information concerning the 
different stages of growth in the tree, the 
different types of growth, when and how 
the fruit buds are formed, the setting and 
development of the fruit, the development 
of size, color and quality in the fruit and 
the development of the root system. 
The grower should know his tree so 
well that its appearances indicate to him 
its needs. He should be able to distin¬ 
guish sharply between disease symptoms 
and appearances due to the effect of a 
lack or an excess of the different fertili¬ 
zing elements in the soil or to the adverse 
effect of other growth conditions. 
He should be able to tell from appear¬ 
ances how the trees should be fertilized, 
the amount, the formula, and the sources 
and quantities of each that go to make 
up the formula. If the grower is unable 
to thus read his tree, there should be 
trained and experienced advisors whom 
he could call to his help who would diag¬ 
nose and prescribe on the same basis as 
does the doctor of medicine. 
In conclusion, the index to all of the 
operations in the grove should be the tree. 
Its appearances and variations should be 
the guide to the grove practices. Regular 
and close inspection should be an impor¬ 
tant part of the work. Good results can 
not be obtained from haphazard methods. 
Discussion. 
Mr. Hume: Following our usual cus¬ 
tom, this paper is now open for discus¬ 
sion. Any questions you would like to 
ask, or any comments on Mr. Floyd’s 
full and detailed remarks: now is the op¬ 
portunity for them. 
Mr. Poole: I should like to ask him 
to describe more particularly the condi¬ 
tion of the leaves produced by excess of 
phosphoric acid. 
Mr. Floyd: That is a condition which 
is very hard to describe accurately. It 
consists of a crinkled condition of the 
margin of the leaf, accompanied by a 
waxy sheen of its surface. This sheen is 
somewhat comparable to that produced 
by a light coat of paraffin over a surface. 
I know that this description is not so 
definite that you can identify the condition 
readily in the field except it is very pro¬ 
nounced. But this is an example from 
that class of appearances of the tree which 
should serve as an index to the factors 
that influence it, and of which we should 
know more. This index should be as 
usable to the grower as is the analytical 
key in the botany text to the botanist. 
Mr. Poole: Does this appearance ap¬ 
pear on the old leaves or only on the 
young leaves ? 
Mr. Floyd: Immature leaves are in 
a state of formation and while in that 
state are susceptible to affection. The 
old leaves would not show it anew. I 
suppose you refer to a rather old leaf; 
one that is well matured. 
Mr. Poole. No. I mean a leaf that is 
six months old. 
