The Princeton union., 1894-12-27

DIXIE'S } Il j I I LAND.
Mrs j. II. Pratt Tells of Some Of the Dis
comforts of Life in Florida.

Mrs i. h. Pratt Tells of some Of the Dis
~ comforts. of Life in Florida.
CRoMANTON, Fla, Dec. 6, 1894. !
& Iosthe Onion -: Thinking perhaps
that as cold weather comes on, some
who are dreading the winter, will be
taken with the Florida fever and yet
find it impossible to come here, I have
decided to tell of some of the dark sides
of life here as a sort Of counter-irritant,
you see.
[ will begin with bacteria. In these
days when we are reading and hearing
SO much about bacteria, [ will let you
know that Florida is not going to be
left il the background by any means.
We certainly have bacteria in all it's
phases, from the infnitesimal up to al
mostany size. At least we call it all
bacteria, = no matter how fully
developed it is, or what it has developed
int into, though correctly speaking, a good
many of our animals would probably
be called by some other name. AS
bread is the staff of life, 1 will com
mence with flour. If it has been stored
longgin this country a little gray moth
has probably laid eggs along the cracks
andsseams on the outside of the barrel
(Wes#get all our -four IN barrels here),
these eggs develop into tiny white
worms which make their way through
intofhe flour and there, if left undis-
turbed, will grow to be an inch or more
longs So much for flour. Most people
heresuse a good deal Of corn meal, and
this is likely to be troubled by very
much the same sort of worm as well as
the Weevil which is very troublesome
in this climate. Meat of all kinds and
fshsmust be carefully looked after or it
will atsoon be found too lively to be
agreeable. Dried fruit can not be kept
for any length of time, unless it is put
intoaair tight cans, and even then it is
4 very likely already affected enough, SC
that.One can soon see the working o1
some sort of insect through the glass
have even found tiny yellow worms
in moist brown sugar. Oat meal, rice,
etc. ,zall have their share. All kinds o1
vegetables have their particular pest
land some times several pests. Fleas
4 sabound attimes and il goes without say
4 ingsthat they are a great annoyance.
How then, you ask, can any one live
in Florida?
/ Well, we sift our flour through {
i band sieue mind you, and not with the
1 s'cranky'' kind that grind everything
all up together. AS for meal, rice, etc.
| we have a little ant, which, if it car
have access to such things, will take
out everything Objectionable and carr,
it away. If we don't like this plan, We
must be sure we are getting a new
fresh article, and then take only {
small quantity at a time, or else do as
do-lzeep everything Of the kind il
something that can be shut up perfectl,
| tight. Meat is all right after being
cured either dry or in brine, if KEEP
away from flies, as it does not get rusty
as it does in the north. A good deal o
it is kept in smoke houses which ar,
4 made dark and tight and preserve tn
meat nicely.
AS for fish. We have the whole Gul
of Mexico for fish barrel and Cal
usually procure them fresh at any TIM
and most kinds are better in that wa,
than in any other, though SOM
varieties that we have are very mic
picked, dried, or smoked, when it cal
he stored in the smoke house and KEEP
without any trouble. AS for vegetables
we have certain emulsions which W
apply by means Of sprayers, and ther
is not much use in trying to gro,
vegetables here except during two Q
three of the coldest months withou
something of that kind. Fruit tree
and vines also need more or less spray
ing in order to prevent damage by mi
dew as we'll as different kinds of insects
though the fruit itself seems singularl
free from any thing of the kind alon
here on the coast, though I have bee
told that it is not so further INLAND
Here we can eat all. the sorts of fru
we grow without any particular fear (
animal life though it is common thin
II if almost anything is going to be cate
or drank to hear some one ask if ther
is any bacteria in it. Sort of b.
I word you see. AS for the feas, all "
need to do is to sprinkle lime about th
premises and they will vanish at once
and we can have all the lime we wal
by just gathering sea shells and burr
ing them. The fact is, it is just tt
same with Florida, as with other place
there are drawbacks everywhere
some kind, and it is right that it shou,