The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-12-28
FLORIDA.
ITS Products, People, Waters.
Climate and Customs.


In the floral kingdom we are muniti-
Gently endowed with perennial beauty.
| Far as the eye can reach, sweep up these
magnificent reminders OF a great scenic
artist, such as the world can never vie
with The frozen blood-drops Of the
yupon, the waxen drops OF white spray,
| the gorgeous beauty of the impomopsys,
the richness of the lantana, the sensu-
| BUSINESS OF the magnolia grandifora, the
night scented jessamine, the yellow cac-
tus, and thousand compa nions to their
loyeliness.
| There is popular error which l wish
to correct. growing out OF the misnomer
"century" plant. There are four species
of this genus common to our State-the
Sisal hemp which flowers in four years,
the pulque and aloe which bloom in six
years, AMI the dgdoe americana, or
American century plant, which i'll eight
years lifts its perfumed spike heave en-
ward. The oleander-red, white and
hybrid respectively imposing in its
beauty, attaining a height Of forty feet
with diameter Of trunk Of from twelve
to ii teen inches. The caoutoh0uc, or
/ india rubber tree, is among our curloSi-
ties. 1t is OF rapid growth, and in Two
years will attain 10 gigantic proportions.
The mangrove wood Is very beautiful,
| aud found in large quantities. Near
| Mosquito Inlet may be seen thousands
ot cords oil 1t, standing leafless ana dead,
u monument to The power OF the frost
king, VINO visited this region exception
ally during the winters OF 1888 ana 1855.
Lower down, toward the Gull, are found
the sandal and satin-WoOd.
From May until September not lit
tie pleasure is derived from hunting the
eggs OF the loggerhead turtle, upon the
sea beach, by moonlight. The eggs are
quite delecLaDle as an article o, food,
and highly esteemed fo: pastry pur-
poses. The turtle, which will frequently
weigh three hundred pounds, Is indo-
lent and will not move rom her position
while in the act OF laying. Two men
then approach her, and with levers OF
stout wood, throw her over, until The
eggs which are deposited, ranging from
hIty to three hundred in number,
are secured. Then she is
thrown back and "the voice
of the turtle is heard in all the land"
Should she have already deposited her
oVa, we must then trust to the sagac-
|, ity OF the bear, to scent out the coveted
prize, which is deeply imbedded in the
N-9and. The bear, whicn Is cowardly, is
II driven away, and the eggs secured.
From the Mosquito Lagoon, on the
HillsDoro, to the Straits or florida
there are extensive coral deposits, prin-
cipally the white fan, but as
low as Key West is found a rich rose
United coral, which is much sought al
ter.
Perhaps my veracity may be called in
question, when l say that l have eaten
of cabbage four feet in length, growing
upon trees someLim fifty leet in height
| Ieter to the cabbage palmetto, the bud
of which is eXtremely~White and succu-
lent, forming valuable addition to the
diet. The outer coating is of a tougher,
woody character, ana is cured, and
braided into hats. The trunk of the
palmetto is employed, by preference, in
the construction OF wharves, since it re-
sists the encroachments OF salt water,
aud is never invaded by worms. The
Il saw palmetto, SO called from its ser.
rated edges, is acquiring just celeb
rity in the manufacture Of paper-since,
unlike the paper which has WooIen fab
RIGS tor it's body, it preserves the same
smoothness and eVenness OF surface
through its entire thickness, and will
not cause the ink to spread or blot When
subjected to erasure.
| AS the goose was the sacred bird OF
Rome, so the hog is the ward OF our law
and the seVerest penalties are affixed to
any trespass on the porcine favOrIte.
A relic of Spanish barbarism survives
| to us in the "road" law. Thirty days
residence in the State is sufficient fol-
impressment for road service, TWO days
. of whicn in each year is required oil
| every citizen under the alternative of d
Communication of 81 per diem. Should
the subject prove refractory, and defy
: the authority OF the road commission,
!; tue old Spanish prescription provides
u that he shall be immured within the
:, public dOnj0n, thence taken to the vii
lage green and sold, in open market, tt
II the highest bidder, for term suft1cien
Ii in duration TO cancel the amount Of the
:: road levy. l need scarcely say that this
s custom does not actually obtain, and il
n only a finger post TO the originality anC
/, unqueness Of Spanish law.
a Tie coast of FlorIda is exceedingly
4. beautitfu!-not with the wild, rocky
il grandeur OF New England-buL rather
d IN the magnificent drive of one hundreC
:. and twenty miles, upon the firm, whit
sand of The Peninsula. Rye Beach
, Cape May, anu, indeed, all Lne baLhin,
II resorts, dwindle into plgmy proportion'
~ beside the beautiful sea beach whicl
~ nature has contributed tU Us.
-, Shells Of every hue and shape, fror
;. the ..callcu" clam to The fragile nautilus
= lie by millions upon the sands. FOrcin
=. our way southward, toward the Key, w
y md the delicaLely tinted concu, up0l
- which the native leasts delighledly. IN
y. , comch is in shape, when stripped tror
- his shelly home, ike lobster, and i
- nignly esteemed by many as u tiu-oll
- IL is Tough in the outer skin, ana prt
yided win horny tentacles, by the us
,e of which he prOpels himself; and
:; upjuue spectacle is sometimes present
III ed, as the beach is lined with tuIs NOV
Is in. mass Of shells.
lie The music Uf old oce"p is our matt
r. and Yesper, and the breakers that las
d the shores with constant motion anu II
ar yel lberating bass, are filled with poeti
le license TO the Idealistic mind. But til
le system uf their motion is frequently in
Dr. yaded, and the sc1ne changes with we
III nigh inconceiyable rapidity. Sometimes
p. prompted by curious questioning,
lnaye traced letters on the sand to waGc
OIL their demolition. First come the craw
rs ing .wavelets, borne i'll from the grea
D.. artery OF the worlu-the broad Atlantic
t,thr ,.,gwI.,,