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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



That the climate of Florida is warmer, 

 more even, and better for the consump- 

 tive, and for those with low vitality, 

 does not depend upon what I say, for 

 support. I can refer to observations by 

 U. S. Stations, and the authority of 

 medical books, among which I cite 

 Dunglison's work on Hygiene, etc. Cali- 

 fornia has its winter rains, fog, and cold 

 nights. Florida has dry winters and 

 warm nights. 



" California is diversified in every- 

 thing," says Mr. Pryal, " you may live 

 in a charming valley with roses, etc., 

 and in half an hour you may be in a 

 region where the perpetual snows a- 

 bound.-' We run from the North, to get 

 away from the snows and cold winds of 

 the winter. The hale and the strong 

 may endure such strains on vitality, but 

 the sick go under. 



"Where is Florida alongside of the 

 Golden State when it comes to grand 

 mountain scenery?" Nowhere, cer- 

 tainly : we have no mountains — no 

 mountain scenery, and don't want such 

 useless wastes and disturbers of an 

 equitable climate. The hale may climb 

 the mountains and enjoy the views, but 

 my interest is in the weak and the sick, 

 for whom Florida is pre-emiently the 

 better place. in wintertime. A Mrs. H., 

 of Cedar Falls, Iowa, came to Daytona 

 this winter. She said, " Our Doctor said 

 I could not live through another winter 

 in Iowa. I told him I would go to Cali- 

 fornia. No, said he, you are too feeble 

 for the trip, and the cold nights will be 

 too much for you." Said the Doctor, 

 "Go to Florida and live, or go to Cali- 

 fornia and die." This settled the mat- 

 ter. She came to Florida. But you say 

 "comparisons are often odious." I be- 

 lieve it, too. 



You say I am among the "alligators;" 

 and I must reply, you are among the 

 grizzly bears. Now there is just as 

 much odium as well as truth in the one 

 statement as in the other. I have been 

 in Florida nine years, and have seen 

 two alligators. How many grizzley bears 

 have you seen ? Your kind advice to 

 me to "leave your sand-hills, death- 

 dealing swamps, noxious insects, etc., 

 and come out to this God-blessed land," 

 is duly considered. We have no sand- 

 hills. As to " death-dealing swamps " — 

 why, man, don't you read any outside 

 literature ? Have you not heard of 

 Hamilton Diston and his work in South 

 Florida ? Of the miles of canals and 

 ditches he has dredged out, and the 

 many thousands of acres of this drained 

 swamp, richer and more fertile than the 

 best sugar-land in Louisiana, amd from 



which are now annually harvested four 

 hogsheads of sugar per acre, which is 

 just double the quantity raised per acre 

 in any other State ? Do you not know 

 that a late estimate gives Florida a 

 greater sugar-producing power from 

 these " swamps" than the present con- 

 sumption of sugar in the United States ? 

 I know you have spent millions in Cali- 

 fornia building canals to carry water to 

 your deserts, and have made acres fer- 

 tile thereby ; but, my brother, why, don't 

 you know that we have been just as 

 busy dredging canals to drain our rich 

 swamps ? 



Y'"ou ought to know something about 

 our gr.eat sugar works at Kissimmee 

 City; about our canals draining Lake 

 Tohapekaligee, Lake Kissimmee, Lake 

 Cyprus, and Lake Okeechobee, into the 

 Cajoosahachee river. 



But our display at Chicago ! No, we 

 were "?iot i?i it." You have me there. 

 I, too, was ashamed of it. We did not 

 use our power. We relied too much on 

 the acknowledged "superiority of the 

 sweet Florida orange." We feared no 

 competitor then, and we feel none now. 

 We were amazed at the wonderful dis- 

 play made in the interest of your real 

 estate magnates at Chicago. Why, sir, 

 your display company had a lady em- 

 ployed at a stand to sing the wonders of 

 your land, whom I thought was worth 

 $5,000 per year to the company. I 

 told the lady' so, and she thanked me 

 for it. 



Once I saw on exhibition in Chicago, 

 great ears of corn raised in the Western 

 part of Kansas by a certain railroad 

 company, and great promises made by 

 the railroad company to prospective 

 emigrants. Alas for results; God did 

 not water the country, and man failed 

 to do so. 



Come to Florida, Bro. Pryal. Keep 

 your money; we will board you free un- 

 til you learn more of our " Italy of 

 America." 



Daytona, Florida. 



'*Foiil JBrood ; Its Natural History 

 and Rational Treatment," is the title of an 

 interesting booklet by Dr. Wm. R. Howard, 

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 being sold at the oflBce of the Bee Jour- 

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Read our great offers on page 541. 



