The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-02-25
THE LAND OF FLOWERS.
Another Interesting Letter From Mrs.sL.
III. Pratt
sCRoMANToN, Ia. Feb 8. 1897

another Interesting Letter From Mrs. Ell.
IT. Pratt.
.CRoMANToN, Fla, Feb. 8, 1897.
Our friends in the north have been
asking if we have had any freezing
weather in Florida this. winter, Yes
we have had another freeze though
not SO severe as the freeze Of two years
ago. For several days previous to Jan.
rs a cold wind blew from the north
cast. On that date a cold rain com
menced to fall and continued through
the afternoon and fore part Of the
night when the wind backed around
into the northwest and blew gale Of
sufficient severity to send small sail
ing craft into the harbor for safety.
Mercury went down among the TWEEN
ties above zero and of course things
were frosted. In fact for three nights
in succession there was ice probably
one half Of an inch thick on tubs and
pals OF water left standing out of
doors and the ground frooze a little
but cabbage, onions, lettuce, mustard,
etc, were not hurt. The leaves on the
orange trees are frost-bitten so that
some OF the leaves will fall off but the
trees being dormant are probably not
Injured except in some cases where
some overly Jealous individual has fer
tilted heavily and cultivated thor
oughly late in the fall and by that
means caused the trees to put forth a
new growth which was too tender to
stand the frost. One such case I have
heard Of when the trees were begin
ming to bloom. Such trees are prob
ably injured.
We are having lovely weather now.
and have had for several days. Today
the birds and butter flies are out, wild
violets are in bloom as we'll as other
kinds Of flowers, but right hereI want
to say that Land OF Flowers pictures
as regards Florida have been very
much overdrawn. OF course we have
flowers in almost endless variety if we
will cultivate them, and there really
are great many wild flowers, but sum.
mer in Minnesota produces wild flowers
in far crater abundance than I have.
ever seen in florida; though the mag
nifcence of our magnolias and sweet
bays, goes far towards making up for
any lack which we may suffer in any
other direction. Our ti-ti swamps,
too, will soon be a complete mass Of
white bloom very closely resembling
an over grown and much too closely
planted plum orchard, but none of
these blooms last very long.
A lady teacher wrote and asked us if
the trees shed their leaves here in win
ter as they do in Minnesota, She said
her pupils wanted to know. Most of
the native trees here are evergreens.
There is an occasional cypress swamp
and the cypress always sheds its leaves
in winter. There is also on high, dry,
sandy ridges scattering oaks which
seem to be exactly like the jack oaks
of Minnesota and have just such old
dead leaves clinging to them all winter
but the live oaks and probably half a
dozen other kinds of oaks are all ever.
greens. So are the ti-ti swamps, the
magnolias, sweet bays; and Of course
the different varieties of pines are al
ways green land really most of the
native trees of this country are the
pines) so in most places the woods are
as green in winter as in summer. But
the winter of Florida is nearly gone.
In just a week the native Floridan
will plant his sweet potatoes and in
month his melons and all tender plants
will go-into the ground. If we do have
an occasional frost we don't get any
too much for the health of the people
of this country.
Mrs. Z. H. PRATT.