FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
93 
and since there is no vegetable growth of 
the fungus and no fruiting bodies pro¬ 
duced in these spots or markings, there is 
no possibility of infection resulting from 
this source. 
Melanose attacks all varieties of citrus 
fruits, but seems to be more prominent 
on grapefruit. It is found on leaves, 
shoots and fruits, but can only attack 
these when they are young and succulent. 
As growth hardens, the tissue becomes 
more resistant or immune. Infection on 
leaves and fruits occurs as small brown, 
raised spots, irregular cracked masses, 
circular markings, streaks or bands. In 
many cases the entire fruit is involved, 
the disease producing a roughened sur¬ 
face resembling coarse sandpaper. The 
chief loss from the disease results in the 
russeting or disfiguring of the fruit. 
However, considerable injury may be 
done to the young foliage, and no doubt a 
very large percentage of early dropping 
of young fruits is due to the attack of 
Melanose. 
CONTROL. 
In controlling Melanose two lines of 
treatment may be followed: The remov¬ 
al and destruction of all the dead wood 
from the trees, and spraying with some 
fungicide. 
Since the fungus is known to live and 
multiply chiefly in the dead wood, it 
seems reasonable that the most effective 
way to control the disease would be to 
remove and destroy all the dead wood. It 
is next to impossible to prune out every 
little dead twig from a bearing tree, but 
by systematic pruning each year the dead 
wood can soon be reduced to a minimum, 
which will materially decrease the injury 
to the fruit. There are objections to this 
method because it requires considerable 
time and expense, but this question is foi 
the grower to settle, whether he can af¬ 
ford to prune or better afford the loss 
from injury to his fruit through Mela¬ 
nose. 
Webber and Swingle found that Mela¬ 
nose could be controlled by spraying with 
either Bordeaux or Ammoniacal Copper 
Carbonate Solution. They recommended 
two sprayings, one after the bloom drop¬ 
ped, and a second one month later. Prob¬ 
ably better results can be obtained by in¬ 
creasing the number of sprayings. The 
first spraying should be made shortly af¬ 
ter the new growth appears in spring. 
This spraying should be thorough, every 
part of the tree being drenched with the 
solution. A special application should be 
made after the bloom drops, and a third 
three weeks later. A fourth spraying 
may be necessary, for the fruit should be 
protected until it has attained considera¬ 
ble size. In using these fungicides the 
grower will also have to follow up with 
some insecticide to keep down the scale 
insects that will follow. 
SCAB. 
Citrus scab was very prevalent last 
season in many sections of the State. 
From reports received up to the present 
time, and extensive observations made by 
the writer and other members of the 
staff, covering most of the citrus growing 
localities in the State, the disease promises 
to be very troublesome this season, es¬ 
pecially to grapefruit. 
Scab is due to a small fungus, Clado- 
sporium citri, that attacks leaves, fruits, 
and sometimes the young tender shoots. 
