The Florida agriculturist., 1889-05-15

to a short-rooted fungus that gets on the
limbs where the bark is thin, and run
ming it's roots into the pores for sap to
feed upon clogs them and kills the tree
by suffocation and straDgulation. He
recommends sulphur sprinkled through
the tree, when wet, as remedy. This
explanati..n N seems very plausible, and all
the symptoms of the disease seem to
bear il out; but the remedy has not
proven fully effective so far in this Sec
tion, nor on the Indian River. Thinking
it may not have been sufficiently tested,
l have some experiments in pregress
that must settle the matter conclusively
in my mind in the near future. Some
ascribe the disease to the cold of three
years ago, but the writer has seen tn
same things years before.
Possibly proper fertilizing at the right
time might ward off the disease, but
that is not yet proven. This committee
would earnestly recommend that this
Society appoint committee whose work
it shall be to study the diseases in gen
eral of the citrus fruits, and the second
and last ones considered in particular,
and that men be chosen who are well
fitted for such investigation ana will
work.
The past two summers along the East
Coast have been unusually dry thorugh
June, July and August, the months when
rain is usually abundant, and the effect
upon the citrus tree has been to greatly
curtail the growth during this part of
the season, when with plenty of water
they would have made wood rapidly.
To meet this occasional lack Of water
from above, many are having artesian
wells sunk, and distributing the abun
dant flow of water obtained througout
their groves for irrigating purpo es.
An unlimited supply of water under
perfect control although not absolutely
neces ary in this State, is usually one of
the most valuable of adj juncts to an orange
grove, and as it can be easily and cheaplr
obtained at depth of from 85 to 165
feet from the surface, in this section, and
with but little drilling, many are availing
themselves of it. Many of our four-inch
wells throw up sufficient water to thor
oughly irrigate several acres, and the
supply once obtained, goes on flowing
indefinitely, with no further expense ex-
cept to pipe it to the points Of distribu-
ton. There are at lea 800 of these
wells along the Hilsborough and Hall
fax rivers, although most of them are of
smaller pipe and We're sunk to supply
the house, stab and gardens with water
and the grounds about the house with
fountains.
TRANSPORTATION.
The crop of the past season as quite
large throughout the State and has been
estimated as high as 5000 900 boxes
This section furni hing it's Quota and
having to depend mostly on one railroad
already overloaded from other sections
for transportation. Our fruit suffered
seriously from delays in transit, hun
dreds of boxes of oranges have been piled
up at stations in the county and left for
days as there were not cars enough to
move them. Much Of this delay might
have been prevented if the fruit had
gone by the routes over which they were
billed, but not in one case during the
past season was the fruit of the writer
allowed to leave the grip of one route,
although every lot going to the north
was otherwise billed. One lot billed all
rail so as to go through quickly and the
higher rate charged marked across the
face of the way bill, was taken to Savan-
nah and kept over week waiting for
room on Boston boat. Other lots billed
by the St. Johns River bcats and CLYDE
Line went to Savannah and were there
kept waiting until room was found for
them so they could be sent along. Out
of 1856 boxes so carried fifty-four were
lost, yet what did by good lack reach the
market sound brought from So so to $4 so
per box and netted me here So 911a.
ch no