14 HOME LIFE IN FLORIDA. 



man of pluck and energy who has made up his mind 

 to act on that grand old adage, "If at first you don't 

 succeed, try, try again," is certain to triumph in the 

 end. 



We heard the other day of a man (and this is only one 

 instance out of hundreds) who came to Florida a few years 

 ago with six hundred dollars' capital, borrowed money, 

 every dollar of it. In five years he had repaid the money, 

 including a heavy interest, and had three times as much in 

 the bank, besides being the owner of forty acres of land, 

 a young orange grove and peach orchard, two horses, half 

 a dozen cows, and a comfortable house. He wisely located 

 on a line of railroad to secure quick transportation, instead 

 of settling in some place where his products could not find 

 a market, and then he rolled up his sleeves and went to 

 work like a man, to raise vegetables. He was new to the 

 business, had been a hard-worked book-keeper, struggling 

 vainly to support his family even in the most frugal man- 

 ner. He knew nothing of farm life, but he studied, used 

 his eyes and his brains as well as his hands, questioned his 

 neighbors, did not disdain to take advice from men less 

 educated but better informed in agriculture than himself, 

 and so he succeeded, as every man will who follows his 

 example — one of true worth and manliness. His cucum- 

 bers brought him from four to six dollars a crate, his toma- 

 toes from two to six dollars, and peas, beans, beets, potatoes, 

 and cabbages in like proportion ; and he blessed the day 

 that he resolved to turn his back on the office desk and 

 seek his fortune in fair Florida's outstretched hand. 



It was not all plain sailing, be it understood. He worked 

 faithfully and intelligently in spite of discouragements. 

 Sometimes frost killed his young plants; sometimes dry 

 weather did it. Insects helped them, dishonest commis- 

 sion men robbed him, but he kept steadily on, planting a 



