The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-05-28


state plant board had met, organized
and started its campaign against the
disease. All through the summer and
winter of 1915 the fight against the
disease was prosecuted without a mo-
ment's let-up or hesitation. During
this time it was discovered that cank-
er was not confined to Dade county,
but that shipments of infected nurs-
cry stock, made before the plant act
was passed, had gone into every coun-
ty in the state. These shipments, as
were thousands of other shipments,
which had come from infected nurs-
cries, were followed up by the in
spectors of the plant board and as a
result canker infections were found
in twenty-one counties, including Es-
Gambia, Walton and Santa Rosa
counties.
At the citrus seminar, held at
Gainesville in October, 1915, the need
for additional funds, over and above
the state appropriation, was seen and
the citrus growers Of the state there
assembled, appointed committee of
five, known as the citrus canker com
mittee, to wait upon the coming ses-
sion of congress and enlist the aid of
the federal government in eradicating
the disease, this being a problem no
longer confronting Florida, but one of
prime importance to every other gulf
state. This committee, headed by
Chairman D. C.. Gillett of Tampa, did
valiant work at Washington during
the past winter and as a result, $780,
600 for canker eradication in the
south was appropriated in the urgent
deficiency bill, passed in February,
1916. An item of $250,000 more for
this. purpose is in the Agricultural
bill which has passed the house of
representatives and is now before the
senate.
Within. two days after President
Wilson signed the bill making the
5000, 900 available, agents and inrpec-
tors of the department of agriculture,
working in cooperation with the
forces of the state plant board, were
hard at work in Florida. The force
of the department of agriculture and
! of the state plant board has now been
increased to a small army of over 300
trained inspectors who are waging
daily battle with citrus canker. Each
property in which canker has occur
red is inspected closely once a week,
and all citrus within mile, in every
direction, from where canker has
been found is inspected monthly. The
progress made in the fight has been
very satisfactory and the rate al
| which the disease has been decreased
is well illustrated by the record in
Dade county county. Up to June
/ 1915, more and more infected trees
were found each month and June
showed. 744 canker-infected trees. Al
this time the force of inspectors
was increased and in July the number
of infected trees found was $40. In
August It fell to 393, in September tc
S1s, In October to 40, in November
to log, and in December to SO. Since
January the number of infected trees
found in Dade county has been as fol.
lows: January, As; February, II;
March, %; and April, 10.
The plant board has worked indus
triously to eradicate the disease from
Western Florida, but because tbs
citrus industry is not our biggest
asset here the public has paid less at
tention to what the plant board anc
government is trying to do for us. A
force of inspectors has been working
steadily on Santa Rosa peninsula anC
another squad is engaged in the in
spection of citrus paintings in Els
Gambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Eradication is not completed, b.
any means, with the discovery ant