The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-01-07
LADIES' DEPARTMENT.
For the FLORIDA AGRIcuLTURIsT.
The Ideal and the Real.

4AO 4OOdl UhA VA1O ADO0As
A gentleman who complained of his
wife's ignorance of literature and COM
mon historical facts, brought home a
volume of Quackenbos one day, and be-
sought her to 90 to work and learn
something" She, acting upon Dom
hey's advice to bis wife, ''made an eff
fort" and when her husband returned
in the evening, she was earnestly en-
gagged in the new study. The house was
quiet, the fire out, no fragrant odors
from the kitchen could be discerned
"Why, what is the matter? Are you
sick % said he. ''No, replied the wife,
''Then where is my support" 81 don't
know anything of your supper, but can
tell you all aboutrho discorered Florida"
1t takes time to master the common
facts of history. The ideal scholar or
writer is fairy of the imagination, while
the real one is worker, who must seek
knowledge, often at the expense of the
cuisine. In any vocation the ideal way
to success in it differs much from the
real labor that achieves the result. If
agriculture could be carried on by means
of a magician's wand, without soiling
the clothes or embrowning the hands,
the ranks of farming life would be filled.
But now, aside from actual labor, farm
ing life has become one OF the most sci
entific pursuits. 1t requires men of
brains to manage its vast concerns. Its
great possibilities need wisdom to devel
ope and perfect them. If the skies are
sunny the geographical situation favor
able, and the climate almost perfect, and
these fine forces OF nature expand them
selves in the rich hammock and in the
stately pine forest, We must not conclude
that our groves, gardens and flowers
will come to us without intelligent labor
and care. There is no ''royal way" nor
silver plated machinery easily handled
that will pillow so many acres to-day or
plant them tomorrow without human
endeavor. The slow processes of hand
work put forth day by day with an ener-
gy that never flags and a determination
to succeed, will transform the hammock
or the pine forest into the comfortable
home place, with grove, garden and
lawn. Perhaps we all have an ideal,
yard, and this approaches the real, just
III proportion as our notions are correct,
and we have the means, in labor or
money, to crafty an intelligent taste,
and as with flower arrangements, so
shrub planting for fine effects in lawn,
requires as much attention as the putting
out of flowers in their proper place.
Shrubs that are intended to delight us by
their foliage or flowers should never be
arranged as hedge, but as loose and
free as possible. 1t is well some time to
intersperce small trees, in order to give
greater irregularity of contour. MANY
fine shrubs grow in this latitude. No
one should despairn q; having, in time, a
good variety, with liarmonizing foliage,
producing most charming effect. Again
as fine results among shrubs may be Sc
cured by budding or grating, as with the
orange itself. Grating has been tried with
the Eucalyptus, and resulted in small
early Towering specimen of this strange
tree. The particular variety that shows
its "wealth of fiery blossoms" is thus
made a shrubbery plant in it's habits,
and so better suited to our smaller yards.
When the llawara Flame tree, or Euca-
lyptus fcitoia is domesticated in our
gardens, desire can go no further for
plant that ranks as blooming tree or
shrub. Its flowers are Il brilliant scar
let and in such wealth of numbers, ar
ranged in such compact masses, that in
the distance it is like ball of fire. One
might almost envy the birds, which are
free to alight in such flowery wilder
ness, or the bees that sip the nectar of
the Gods" from the curious cup-shaped
calyX, that overhows with the luxuriant
food. NJ. NJ. l..