166 HOME LIFE IN FLORIDA. 



lessly at " that 'ere queer post" guarding the well, and cau- 

 tiously touch the handle and start back amazed at the ease 

 with which it moved. Told to raise and lower it, they 

 would lift it slowly a few inches and then as carefully drop 

 it, looking bewildered when the spout, where they were 

 told the Avater Avould appear, failed to deliver up its treas- 

 ure. Then we would sally forth to the rescue, and a de- 

 lighted grin would dawn upon their dusky faces as the 

 clear, steady stream poured out. "Fore de Lawd, dat's 

 powerful smart ! '' " Lawd's sake, hit is ! " After that we 

 used to tremble for the life of our valves and piston as they 

 rattled up and down to satisfy a strangely frequent thirst, 

 so frequent that at last it compelled a remonstrance. 



We repeat, every well should be topped by a pump, and 

 every pump should be handy to the kitchen, if not actually 

 inside its walls. Every housewife's work is hard enough 

 without the unnecessary addition of hauling up heavy 

 buckets of water. A sink ujider the spout to catch and 

 carry away waste water, with a ti'ough leading to a half- 

 hogshead sunk in the ground, will be found of great ad- 

 va^ntage, not only in saving the carrying away of heavy 

 pans of dish-water, but also in preserving the latter for 

 use as a fertilizer. Let the reservoir be emptied every 

 afternoon toward sunset, the best time always for watering 

 trees. Dash the soapy water around the fruit trees within 

 reach, not too close to the tree, for the true feeding root- 

 lets are some distance from it, and you will be surprised to 

 see how the trees thus treated will outstrip the others. 



It is not a good plan to set out orange or lemon trees too 

 near the house, yet we are all apt to make this mistake. 

 The trees look so small when set out that it is hard to real- 

 ize that in a few years' time they will be towering toward 

 the house-top and their branches spreading wider and wider 

 each year. 



