The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-10-22
INSPECTORS Have
Right To Destroy
Infected Trees

Citrus canker inspectors in
south Dade county are warrant
ed in burning trees injected with
canker whether the consent OF
the owner is given or not, ac-
cording to a decision given by
County Judge Sam Barco this
morning after a lengthy hearing
of the case of the state versus
Frank Sterling, charged with en-
tering the grove of Rev. ]. r.
Walker and burning several
trees infected with the disease.
"The greatest good to the
greatest number is one of the
highest principles of common
law said Judge Barco in giving
his decision. eff fire should
sweep down Twelfth street the
fire chief would be within his
rights in dynamiting to the earth
some of the best buildings in Mi
ami, if by so doing the fire could
be checked and far greater dam
age to buildings beyond avert
de-"
Following his statement of his
decision in the case, Judge Bar
CO dismissed Mr.. Sterling, and
informed Mr.. Walker that his
decision would be the same in
the cases against Harvey Goss-
man, Harvey Knight and Chas.
|Cox. He asked Mr.. Walker if
he desired to go into the cases
with this understanding.
mo, sir, l do not" said MIR.
Walker.
Burning Only Sure Cure.
| According to the testimony OF
Frank Sterling, who is the chief
inspector of south Dade county,
leaves from tree treated the
same way that Mr.. Walker
treated his have been pro-
nounced by scientists at the
Estate university at Gainesville as
being alive with canker, less
than s per cent OF it having beer
killed by the treatment. Mr.
| Sterling stated that scientists
not only in Florida but also ii
. Alabama and Texas, and Patio
: llogists from the United States
: department of agriculture hav'
I been studying the disease to
;, months, but have as yet foun'
e no successful treatment for it.
This being so, the growers il
south Dade county originate
\ the burning process, and hav
been successful in getting tn
l. disease under control, and ar
: now within sight of its eradics
O ton, according to Mr.. Sterling
l. The presence of an infecte
e grove in the district which wa
If not being cleaned up, he SAT-
l. would not only be a source
r. constant danger, but also woul
C. discourage other growers an
t, greatly retard and interfere wi,
a. 1.-THE work.
n Consent Generally Secured.
st Up to the time Mr.. Walker
III grove was entered, no trees hs
IT, been burned without the permi
a sion of the owners, and in Il
ne case of Mr.. Walker the conse
IN of the owner of an undivid'
h. half interest was secured. Thi
r. said Mr.. Sterling, was thong
I'm sufficiently authority for Il
y. cleaning up of the grove,
or Raymond Baitman, D. S. La
tn ton, VIM. Anderson, &C. Lo.
st, and Jas. Baltimore were called
m the stand to testify for M
t. Walker, and he acted as his ov
ed lawyer, questioning them close
nd as to the methods used in figf
ge ing the canker. Mr.. Sterli1
he asked no questions of these W
as nesses, and had no witnesses
ic- his behalf. When he took t
til stand in his own defense
"a briefly outlined the fight that h
ne been going on in the Redlan
in the attempt to rid the count
I'D Of disease which threatens t
CHI industry. There are 252 far
he ers in the South Dade Cour
in association, he said, who endo1
di- the burning process, and are 81
ng porting the work