FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
the Irishman, “that’s a good way, too.” 
(Laughter). 
The main thing is to get the area 
around the crown, exposed to the air and 
if possible, to the sun. 
Mr.-: What is the antiseptic, 
and how strong do you apply it? 
Mr. Rolfs: The first antiseptic tried 
out was sulphurous acid. Through a mis¬ 
take in the literature, some people have 
been using sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid 
is an antiseptic—so is a red-hot poker. 
Another good antiseptic is crude car¬ 
bolic acid. Carbolineum is also fairly 
good. We have also used the mercury 
chloride which you can get at the drug 
store; directions come with the tablets— 
just how to use them. I like best the 
carbolic acid or carbolineum because there 
is no danger of an animal drinking them. 
They are also of vegetable origin and not 
likely to cause much damage to the tree. 
Don’t think when you have treated a 
tree and no more foot rot is visible, that 
the tree is cured, but wait six months or 
even two years before you feel assured 
that the disease has disappeared. 
Mr. Temple: I have heard it stated 
that foot rot never occurs on budded 
trees. Is that correct? 
Mr. Rolfs : Oh, bless you; no. It oc¬ 
curs on budded trees, seedlings, and a 
good many places where people say it 
cannot occur. All you have to do is to 
become a plant pathologist and you will 
see lots of things happen that people say 
simply can’t happen. 
Sour orange stock is more resistant to 
it than the others we have, unless it is 
the bitter-sweet. The sour stock ic very 
resistant. Rough lemon is very suscepti- 
191 
ble. I have seen the disease on trees 
budded on grapefruit stock. We may 
have a totally immune stock in the bitter 
sweet. The sour stock is very resistant. 
Mr. Temple: What strength of car¬ 
bolic did you use for the wash? 
Mr. Rolfs: The carbolic acid you get 
is of variable strength. I like to use about 
one part of water and one of carbolic 
acid. Sometimes we have used it straight 
and no harm came from the use of it. 
Some people have reported some scalding, 
but what if it does? That very scalding 
will make the spot resistant to infection. 
I like the crude carbolic acid simply be¬ 
cause it is cheap. I would nor hesitate to 
use the other if people will pay for it, 
but I would rather pay for crude carbolic. 
Mr. Hart: In looking for foot rot, 
you have oftentimes to dig the dirt away 
to find the gum. Use your knife and 
other tools and also the hoe. It has been 
my practice to disinfect my tools by us¬ 
ing formaldehyde, one part to twenty of 
water. I think you will find that import¬ 
ant in dealing with foot rot. It is a good 
thing to have a bottle of formaldehyde or 
carbolic acid with you and a brush, and 
you can brush over your tools very quick¬ 
ly with the antiseptic before you leave the 
infected tree to go on to the next. 
Question 5. Tell us about setting 
trees without the use of water. 
Mr. Hume: It can be done if the soil 
is moist, but if it is dry I would not ad¬ 
vise it. Use the water. 
Mr. Hollingsworth: I presume that 
question was thrown at me. I am one 
of those people who set without water. 
We oftentimes learn many things by hav¬ 
ing circumstances force them upon us. 
