The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-01-22


to spores occurring in the bark of
the tree could be obtained in no 9th
err way than by careful work in the
laboratory and by the aid of the APP
planes ordinarily found in such
places. The Importance of this dis
covery l consider second only to the
discovery of the causative agent of
this disease.
"The experiment station has been
criticized for not finding a more eff
ficient and economical method for
the control of citrus canker. This is
quite what one should expect under
the exigencies of the case. People
who have groves attacked and their
property destroyed naturally become
impatient and they are likely to dis
count the serious work that has been
done on the problem. AS matter of
fact, the best knowledge and best
probable remedies were applied and
found wanting. This work was so
we'll carried out by experienced peo-
Pile in the field that it was inadvis-
able 10 interrupt or retard the tech
nical work that was going on at the
other end of the line.
"If citrus canker were slow pro-
crossing disease like that of citrus
scab the question would be an entire
Nv different one. Citrus scab does
not spread quickly to adjoining prop
critics, and while it rather destrIc-
tive disease, is one that lends itself
quite readily to treatment by the in
diyidual grower. Canker is a dis
ease that must be treated from the
community standpoint, while such
can be treated from the individual
standpoint. Canker differs from
scab like bubonic plague from mala-
ria. One must be handled by the
whole affected region acting in con-
cert to stamp out every germ, while
the other disease may be treated by
each Individual family.
1 Doing the Proper Thing.
professor Stevens has also been
criticised for not making experiments,
meaning, of course, that lie should
have gone to the diseased field and
applied technical knowledge in per-
son, when as matter of fact ne
was doing the very best that could
be done in the campaign, he was op-
plving This technical knowledge sn
the particular subject He was the
O. ly man in the state so situated as
to make the investigational work eff
fective. Those who criticise the
work overlook the difficulties that are
ell countered in going to Nature and
asking her questions. She does not
yield up facts readily. So patent is
this fact that the saying secrets OF
Nature" is quite aptly put.
1--WE should not forget that citrus
canker. was an unknown entity two
wears ago and came onto our hori'
ION merely as suspicion. Even
wear ago no living man could have
said truthfully whether the disease
was due to fungus, bacterlum, In
sect, mite, or some other agent. The
information at hand nointed in the
direction of certain fungus, bit II
the language of court ~"oceedure II
was only circumstantial evidence, ane
in technical. matters of this kind the
jury (the people, accept only direct
evidence,-and direct evidence WAS
absolutely wanting. However, the
evidence was secured and presented
to the citrus growers at the earliest
possible date. About the first Of
May, during the meeting of the Hor
ticIltural Society at Palatka, the evi
dence in fullest detail was stated II
ordinary language, and interested PEG
pie were thoroughly aroused in the
matter. In September, at the meet
ing of the Citrus Seminar, a full ant
. complete statement was presented.
Some Parallel Cases.
"There are large number of fun
gous and bacterial diseases of plant!
that have been studied for years ant
a large amount of money spent OF
the matter of their control and ye
we have no economical remedy. Tax,
for instance the pear blight whicl
has been known for upwards of 81
,, wears and has been studied ant
worked over for decades. The causa
tive agent-a bacterium-has beer
, known for 80 years yet after q
,, wears Of handling by growers G
, sears and 80 years of technical s'p
DIV, there is no remedy for this pest
| Had it been possible in the incipien
,, cy of the disease to have arouse'
! people in the Hudson valley to tn
needs of the case and stamp out tn
! disease, we should probably not hav
been afflicted with it at the presen
, time. say probably because no on
!, knows definitely the origin of tn
disease producing bacteri1m. ,,
"We have parallel instance in tn
,, foot and mouth disease of cattle
The foot and mouth disease origin
!. ated in Europe and was brought int
America. It recurs in this countr,
from time to time and whenever W
have an outbreak the state and gov
! eminent join hands in destroying al
. of the infected cattle. Much time an
- ;..,,opca amount of money ha