ARCHITECTURE. 



Strictly speaking architecture and ornamental gardening are 

 two very different things, and yet, when it comes to making a 

 home, especially in Florida, the two are likely to be intimately 

 connected. I believe that it will not be out of place here to 

 devote a brief chapter to the subject. 



Robinson, the noted English gardener, says, "The architect 

 is a good gardener when he makes a beautiful house." And I 

 might add that he is a better one when he makes a house which 

 will harmonize with what are to be its surroundings. The 

 dwelling and all other buildings that are at all conspicuous 

 should be fitted for their surroundings as well as for the purposes 

 for which they are constructed. 



The peculiarities of our climate and environment call for 

 peculiar treatment when it comes to the construction of build- 

 ings. In thousands of cases people come here from the north 

 and put up just such structures as are built in that region. A 

 great many of these are designed by northern architects who have 

 never been in a tropical or semi-tropical country and who know 

 nothing whatever of the needs of such a region as Florida. In 

 other cases architects come here and bring their ideas with them 

 and turn out work such as they did in the north with but little 

 modification. 



California has its own architecture, the Mission style, which 

 is used here to a considerable extent ; in New England they have 

 the Colonial style, which is, just now, all the rage generally, 

 even in Florida; the Italian order is also somewhat used here. 

 None of these is just fitted for our climate and needs; why 

 shouldn't we have a Floridian style of architecture? 



In this region we have occasional West Indian hurricanes, 

 which usually occur in the fall and they are almost always accom- 

 panied by a very heavy fall of rain. One who has never gone 

 through any of these storms can not have the faintest idea either 

 of the fury of the wind or the power and penetrating ability of 

 the water. A house as ordinarily constructed at the north 



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