The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-10-04
ORANGE DISEASES. ETC.

Inc DIVISION vi VeSeGdUlc IdCIOlOSy vi
the United States Department of Agri
culture has for two or three years been
conducting Investigations in Florida
upon citrus fruits and other sub-tropical
plants.
Two years ago congress slightly in
creased the appropriation for this special
line of work, and this enabled the De-
partment of Agriculture to take up the
study of citrus fruits and sub-tropical
plants in Florida. Prior to this some
field work was done in the State by agents
but it only showed the impossib1lity of
arriving at any valuable results without
careful investigation carried out on the
ground The great distance from the
State, the warm climate aud the i'm
perfect mail facility made it impossible
to obtain good specimens in Washington
Accordingly a Laboratory was established
people of Eustis donated a laboratory
and grounds and public-spirited orange
grower offered the use of a four acre
grove for experimental purposes. -:
The report of the agents in charge of
the station to the secretary Of agricul-
ture says the immediate object is the
study of the diseases of all economic
plants of the far South, as we'll as the
discovery and trial of remedies and pre-
ventives therefor. On account of the
great Importance of the citrus industry
the mainpart of the investigation is con-
fined to such diseases as blight, footrot,
scab, ETC., of the orange.
Continuing the subject the report says:
"For the purpose of obtaining some in
formation on the communicating of
orange blight by budding, some expert
ments were inaugurated in July of the
present year in the grove OF Mr.. John
Fabyan, near Leesburg, who generously
placed a number of trees at the disposal
of the division. Twelve large, healthy,
sweet orange trees were budded from trees
showing blight. These experiments to-
gether with those started in the summer
of 1891, by budding from blighted trees
on small sour orange stock, will no doubt
settle in few years the question of the
communicabilty of the disease by bud
ding. Other groves for experimenting
with sprays and fertilizers, and for
work looking toward the extirpation of
blight, have been kindly offered. Some
of this work is already underway, and
more will be begun as the season ad-
vances. The greatest stress at first will
be placed upon laboratory work. A
study of the physiology and anatomy
of the healthy plant will be taken up and
pushed as rapidly as the time and means
at hand will permit. The Importance
of this matter is discussed in the sue
ceeding section; hence it is unnecessary
tosay anything upon the subject here.
In addition to the lines of work indi-
Gated, there are others equally impor-
tant, bearing directly upon the question
of diseases and their prevention.
careful study of the liability to or ex-
emption of different varieties from varl-
Gus diseases, and the Introduction OF
new varieties. or their production by
crossing and selection with special refer
ence to their disease-resisting qualities,
are lines of research too valuable to be
neglected. Also the effects OF various
stocks on the scion in health and disease
will be carefully considered as soon as
the necessary means are at hand. The al
most unknown allies of the orange should
be given a thorough trial. The dlscov-
cry of blight-resisting stock or variety