120 HOME LIFE IN FLORIDA. 



against it, as ' ' scrub hammock, and no account nohow. 

 He had some himself, though, first-class." 



But the stranger shook his head sadly, and turned his 

 back forever on that community, saying : 



** No, I will have none of your lands. Any one of those 

 tracts would suit me ; I see thrifty, healthy trees on them 

 all, but each one of you runs down his neighbor's honesty, 

 and decries his neighbor's goods. I would not live and 

 trade and visit among such men, if a grove was given me 

 free." 



Now, good reader, perhaps you think this is an imagin- 

 ary experience. Unhappily, we can not plead guilty, it was 

 an actual fact, and its counterpart may be met with any 

 day. 



"A word to the wise is sufficient," fvenez garde. 



The question is often asked, " What does good orange 

 land cost ? " 



Well, as our friend, neighbor A, just referred to, re- 

 marks: "That's as you takes hit," whether your choice is 

 pine land or hammock ; remote from or near to good trans- 

 portation facilities. 



Our own experience and judgment, and that of the ma- 

 jority of Floridians, is decidedly in favor of pine land, as 

 a general rule, for a permanent, healthy home, where one 

 can be happy and contented. 



An important consideration to most settlers, and one 

 that would be paramount, were all other things equal, is 

 the fact that it costs much less than hammock, not only in 

 the actual purchase money or " first cost," but in the after 

 preparations for the reception of the coveted orange grove, 

 the Alpha and Omega of the Floridian's aspirations. 



Hammock land is almost invariably found stretching 

 back from the shores of the large rivers and lakes, joining 

 a belt of rich land, varying in depth from a half mile, or 



