Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-01-11
CANKER
I. NOT EXISTENT IN
VALLEY He SAYS
GOVERNMENT EXPERT DECLARES.
HOWEVER, THAT III NAY COME
UNLESS IT is PREVENTED.
SAYS THAT KEEPING DISEASE OUT
or VALLEYS MATTER Up TO
GROWERS OF THE FRUITS.

I iBN 1T. - ~ AlhfttN 81 Ni~~ifhs AHfA'
States Department 81 Agriculture Citrus
In~pector.l
There j. no citrus canker in the Rio
Grande Nalley-that j.. there j. NO citrus
canker in the Valley Mt the present time.
There u M one who can tell how long thi,
immunity may last. taking into con-idera-
tion the liability 81 infection from import
IA trees from section where the disease
now exists. There viii ~ no citrus can
ker III the Valley III the people Interested
~ the welfare ui the citrus industry here
viii cooperate with the state and federal
departments VT agriculture and their
agents. No matter what may bc The ulin-
pound. Y Ivy y fact that there has been ub-
tanned u complete eradication w this dread
disease hy methods mid means adopted hN
the agents ~ TIE two departments WI ag-
riculture. To make this eradication ot
greater value to this Nallcy-to acquire
from 1t = permanent immunity. in order
that the work already accomplished may
not be- frnile~-. on made worthless M the
eleventh hour. the writer would like 10 lay
before the local citrus grower p brief bnt
.rue account of what this disease i~ and
hpw DO may he prevented.
Citrus caukcr w not produced M n fun
gus wv w first thouaht bv some natboln-
gi~t-. hut i~ thc active lesion W.T. " true
hactcrium, and " i~ now known that this
hactcrium i~ p~eudomona~ citri.
Much IVY the opinion given a~ NV the rel
Iatiyc re-i~tcucv of certain varieties WY rit-
ra~ trees has been upset and instead Wy
finding that amy particular variety Fly more
re~i~tent to ihe disease Than another. "
has been demonstrated that locality ana
climate are greater factors in producing
TINS tendency than any susceptibility due
To variety. This refers to tile visible le-
sion and not to the casual organism a~
known to the scientist. For instance. while
the citrus trifoiata may not STOW amy Wis
ihle lesion ni citrH~ canker. and mav Not
suffer ANN apparent injury. NIT This plant,
which Ain 'a foster plant for thc disease.
may hc viruieutly infected. and ihu-
through the iH,ahHi'on ot the casual or-
-ani-m ain r,ad -hc m. .Hv o -rrH ar
extent l- IN n-ldiun-ir rinrI --c
ara .nl rhnr r,l..r wur.hlpa cn-
e..tlv.
HuiuuN hfNc
quite often isa"rcu lAt ..c. .Aat N iD-t c.
plant .or what would la better tnuwu MN
animal pathology ~ W "carrirr"I' IVY of
more Importance WY " source ny disease
when uot showing ihe positive lesion thau
" tree which WHY being affected Show hc-
yond doubt evidence ot reIl-di~~ulu,iou.
This mistake wy made wv often by thc uu-
scientific person that it may bc stated
without fear y eag.eratiou that flllv fifty
per cent w diseases " plant lite cau~ea
hy bacterium ARE due to this error.
Il i- impossible tor nearly -ol ~ ten
whether a plant or tree ~ infected with a
disease caused hr "a hac rium obi the zen
era under discussion. until the tree is able
to show its positive lesion. which may he
months after the date of Infection. and I'M
the ease of citrus canker this feature i-
very pronounced. Ii may be- sand here that
a- soon as the positive. visible on very an-
parent lesion hu. appeared the di-trihu-
tion of the organisms causing the disease
may be 40 extensive a~ to cause an iu-
%fection very difficult tn ahatc. This BY
why the writer has been very pronounced
M advising owners ot citrus groves to be
sure they are purchasing clean nursery
stock and TN take every microscope pre-
caution against the introduction VT this
disease.
rms characteristic oi ln~idiou~ne~~ l~
\ menace from two 'iandpoiHi~ FIRST
thI~ disease may have injected 4 consider