The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-05-03

blighted all my hope and has about
thrown me upon the cold charity OF
my fellow men.
And yet am blowing like loved it.
| walk up and down the burrows
where few belated vegetables are
trying to get large enough to pay the
freight on themselves and l hear the
hooking bird singing of the glories of
spring time. Once in a while l turn
out an unfortunate grub worm, then
pause a few moments to enjoy the
doggonedest row between the sweet
singer and vagrant butcher bird
which lies in wait like a ''robber bar
on to grasp the reward of another's
toll. 1t is true that the hooking bird
did not toll much, but it sang a pretty
song which cheered the weary plow-
man. How like human beings some
Of these birds are!
do love to plow but don't love to
have to. | am not sure that | can
parse the last sentence, but it express
es my meaning. so let it pass.
Benz. Franklin used to get off a lot
Of rot about the plowman and many
persons to this day cal il wisdom, and
blowing have said many pretty things
about it, but Mr.. Gray in his "Elegy"
told the truest and hOmeliest story
when he said:
"The ploughman homeward .)lods his
weary way"
can see the poor fellows slOuching
gait ut this moment and | can hear
the trace chains rattle. Somebody ad-
viseS the farmer-and he has been
pelted with chunks of advice since the
days Of Horace and Juvenal-to look
out sharp after the little things OF the
farm. | have done that persistently
and faithfully. | made the smallest
crop of syrup in the entire neighbor-
hood, and doubtless no farmer in all
Florida made as small lot of for
age. But | did one thing in a small
way which all my brother farmers
might protitably initiate. Instead of
throwing away the "skimmings" of
my syrup I made ten gallons of as ex-
cellent clear vinegar as was ever man
ufactured by anybody anywhere. That
was one small thing. All I lack of
being independent Of the store is
supply of corn, oats, hay, -four, meal,
lard, sugar, rice and few other indis
pensable articles-but l have vinegar.
| am tempted to tell that old yarn
about Horace Greeley and the Kan
saS boomer, but I'll desist. 1t fits my
case admirably. Some of our readers
used to get mad with me because l
didn't tell Of the great things which
happen. or. are said to happen on d
Florida farm l let the editor of
country weekly tell those tales.
wrestle with facts as 1 find them.
There have been told a million lies
about Florida products along with
some very creditable truths. Down at
this end of the State it is hardly prop
err to call a man a farmer. We are all
truckers and fruit growers. AS we I'M
derstand the term farmer in the Unit
ed States there is always associated
the growing Of the great staple crops
none Of which are grown to any ex-
tent sOurn of Ocala or BrOOksville on
the west. There is no half way
ground with the trucker. He must
either make a success or hunt another
job. If he cannot sell to advantage at
once the venture is lost. On most
truck lands there is literal aftermath
but neither the trucker nor his wife
and children can eat it.
Those who dwell on this old truck
patch have had a hard time for two
seasons, and am telling you solemn
truth. Last year until June it was so
dry that the bucket would pick up a
dust in my we'll.
ono