The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-09

sewing, eating oranges, etc., in peace,
safety and tranquility. But look upon
the picture in 'tOur Dumb Animals"
On "stern and rockbound coast"
upon which wild, fierce surf is break
ing, group of men (the Coast Guard)
a'e endeavoring to launch ife-boat, to
go to the rescue of a wrecked vessel
which is throwing up signals of distress
from where she is stranded on ledge of
rocks far out in the raging waters
Everything in the picture before us sug-
gests hardship, peril and extreme dan
ger; and we know tits not exaggerated
or overdrawn; that it is, indeed, mat
ter of almost daily and nightly occur
renee.
Think of such scenes as this, dear read
er, as you sit in your lighted and warm
room these clustering winter nights, and
offer up thanks for shelter and safety.
1t is true that the farmers gains are
small, and he has to win all he makes
from stubborn nature by hard toll; but
he runs no fearful risks; he can enjoy
the peace and security of home, sur
rounded by those he loves and labors
for; he is not exposed to the fevered
strife of cities, nor to a thousand dangers
and temptations that surround other
men; and if he will only reflect and she
Alright, he will find abundant cause for
thankfulness and contentment.
X
What l said above about the duty of
supporting our own papers in preference
to all others, may also be applied with
force and reason to the purchase of
homegrown trees and plants. 1t is only
few years ago that Florida had no nur-
series worthy of the name-only some
little patches of Seeding oranges here
and there, but now it is quite different.
do not believe any State in the Union,
of the same population as ours, can show
anything like the great variety and
amount of nursery stock growing to-day
in Florida. When we look at the beauti-
fully printed and finely illustrated cata-
logues of our leading nurserymen-some
of which possess great educational value
as botanical Instructors and when we
think of the vast amount of labor and
money these rare and splendid collec-
tions of trees and plants have cost, and
with what magical swiftness they have
been gathered together, planted propa-
gated and disseminated throughout this
large State and everywhere else, even
unto California and foreign lands, we
are filled with wonder and admiration.
No single enterprise is more creditable
to Florida than her nurseries and 1t is
our duty and interest to buy and plant
homegrown trees.
*
1t seems to me of the greatest impor-
tance that our children should be taught
as early as possible to be gentle, kind
and humane to all dumb animals. So
cieties for protecting animals from cruel
ty are the best evidence of the spread of
Christian civilization. The first society
seventy years ago, and it is one of the
most powerful organizations of it's kind
in the world. The Queen is it's patron,
the Earl of Aberdeen is it's president,
and it's board of officers are princes,
dukes, earls, bishops, and many of the
most eminent men of England. At the
head of it's Ladies' Humane Educational
Committee is the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts; and it's influence with the clergy
appears from the fact that in one year
nearly six hundred English clergymen
preached in it's behalf; its influence with
magistrates, from the fact that last year
it obtained four thousand nine hundred
and forty-nine convictions In the courts
and it's influence with royalty, from the
fact that, at it's last annual meeting, the
Queen, in the presence of a large audi
ence, caused to be distributed about six
hundred prizes for the best compositions
on kindness to animals, to the successful
competitors in the London schools. So
cieties for the prevention of cruelty to
L. Ill