UP THE ST. JOHKS BIVEE. 101 



charge of this part of the ceremony. At Enterprise we 

 succeeded in getting a few oranges. The crop had all 

 been picked and sold, and oranges were not so plentiful 

 in Florida as in New York. Although we saw none of 

 the sweet oranges on the trees (March 20th to 30th), yet 

 we were fully as much pleased with the sight of the wild 

 orange. This fruit, although uneatable, is larger and 

 of a more golden hue than the eatable orange ; the leaf 

 is nearly the same, but of a darker, glossier green, and 

 the flower identical. These we saw in profusion. A 

 great drawback to the success of agricultural pursuits in 

 Florida is the latinia, or scrub palmetto, growing as a 

 bush from three to five feet in height. Its roots extend 

 in all directions near the surface, like great cables three 

 inches in diameter, and form an impervious network 

 through which a plough cannot be forced. 



Leaving Enterprise at one A. M., we again had a 

 cold and rainy day. Wise through experience, we did 

 not waste our time watching for alligators that would 

 not come out, so made ourselves happy in the cabin. 

 At Green Cove our party broke up ; all who could re 

 maining at that lovely spot, and the rest of us parting 

 here and there, as our roads homeward diverged. 



L. A. BEAKDSLEE. 



