THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



147 



POSTAGE ON PLANTS TO THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



We clip the following scold fi'om the 

 Fruit Recoriler : 



When will our Government remedy the 

 unjust and discriminate law of plant post- 

 age between the United States andCanada ] 

 They can send plants up to 4 pounds all 

 over this country at rate of half a cent per 

 ounce, wliile we have to pay ten cents on 

 every package sent over the line, and no 

 package can weigh over eiglit ounces, that 

 goes to Canada. The Government should 

 have this injustice towards a large class of 

 nurserymen in this country remedied." 



Just so, friend Purdy, you do live 

 under the most unjust government in 

 the woi'ld ! ! It is a shame that in this 

 enlightened age citzens of the United 

 States cannot send plants to any part 

 of that great country by mail for half a 

 cent an ounce up to four pounds. The 

 Canadian lives under a much moi'e lib- 

 ei'al government ( !) for he can send them 

 to all parts of Canada at that rate. 

 But hold, friend Purdy, are you not 

 grieving over imaginary wrongs I You 

 seem to think that Canadians can send 

 plants at half a cent per ounce to any 

 part of the United States. Let us I'ead 

 from the C anad ianOfficial Postal Guide: 

 " There is no provision for the trans- 

 mission of seeds and bulbs between 

 Canada and the United states by mail 

 except when sent as samples, the limit 

 of weight for each packet is eight oicnces, 

 the i-ate ten cents." No, friend Purdy, 

 the injustice of your government does 

 not consist in allowing us to send our 

 plants into your country at a less postal 

 rate than you can send them into ours, 

 but in not treating you as liberally in 

 this matter within your own borders as 

 our government treats us. And scold- 

 ing won't mend the matter. Your only 

 remedy is to leave that land of benight- 

 ed and unjust law, and come under our 

 better, more liberal and more just 

 government. 



FLORIDA IN WINTER. 



(Continued from page 12o.) 



The sail up the river St. Johns from 

 Palatka is full of interest to the stran- 

 ger. The scene is ever shifting. At 

 times the river is very nari-ow and tor- 

 tuous, so that in half an hour's sail the 

 steamer has returned to within a few 

 rods of her former place ; then sud- 

 denly the river spreads out into a small 

 lake of shallow water several miles in 

 expanse. In some parts the country 

 seems to be a flat, low prairie, covered 

 with coarse grasses ; soon this feature 

 is changed, and we pass through heav- 

 ily wooded rolling land, where we fre- 

 quently see groves of orange trees, some 

 already bearing fruit and some but 

 recently planted. It was dui'ing this 

 trip from Palatka to Enterprise that 

 we saw more of the animated nature of 

 this peculiar countiy than we had met 

 before. Alligators of varying sizes 

 were basking on the banks, which, as 

 the steamer approached, would crawl 

 off' and hide themselves in the water. 

 White cranes were frequently seen fly- 

 ing about or standing upon some tree 

 overhanging the river. Blue heron, 

 seen the dead leaf stalks not yet fallen, 

 giving a very shaggy appearance to 

 many of these, to us, singular trees. 



At Enterprise we found there was an 

 orange gi-ove attached to the hotel 

 where the guests could go and help 

 themselves to oranges as freely as they 

 chose. You will not be surprised to 

 learn that it was well patronized. We 

 spent a day here in strolling about, 

 sauntering into the woods near by, and 

 studying the strange vegetation, and 

 visiting also some oi" the adjacent gar- 

 king-fishers, water turkeys, grey- 

 headed eagles, hawks, and numerous 

 flocks of blackbirds, gave interest and 

 life to the scene. Ducks of several 

 kinds and water-hens were swimming 

 upon the water. In the low land the 

 cypress, water-oak and tall-growing 



