CLIMATE. 53 



If pianos are kept closed on rainy days when not in use, 

 and occasionally thrown wide open — that is, the entire lid 

 raised — at other times, little if any trouble is found in 

 keeping them in tune, especially in the interior of the 

 State, which is very far from being the case in very moist 

 countries. 



During the rainy season, from June to August inclu- 

 sive, it is difficult to keep table salt dry ; but no more so 

 than in the majority of the States under similar circum- 

 stances, and the WTiter has frequently seen in Philadelphia 

 and New Jersey salt-cellars actually full of liquid salt, but 

 never more than very moist in Florida. 



Clothing that has been wet and "salted" with perspira- 

 tion, even though dry when taken off at night, will often 

 be found quite damp in the morning, the salt having ab- 

 sorbed moisture during the night. But clothing not so 

 salted, even though left by an open window, will be per- 

 fectly dry. Of how many of our States can this be said 

 during a long " rainy spell"? 



Even during the rainy season, when showers fall more 

 or less copiously every day (the sun shining in the interval), 

 the air is not saturated. It never comes under Vivenot's 

 classification of " excessively moist," a fact that is proven 

 by the continued, though diminished evaporation of water, 

 for, as every one knows, this would be an impossibility if 

 the atmosphere already contained as much moisture as it 

 could hold in suspension. 



In the lower St. John's fogs are quite frequent and 

 heavy, but in most other localities they seldom occur, 

 and then are light and quickly vanish as the sun rises 

 higher. 



And now we hope that the facts we have given so far 

 will refute effectually the erroneous idea that generally 

 prevails concerning " Florida's moist climate." 



