TEE LONQ-LEAVED PINE. 117 



of Flowers." It seems that spring here, as in the 

 north, oftentimes lingers; like a coy maiden now 

 advancing, now retreating. Some of these days the 

 coyness will be thrust aside, and with a mighty rush 

 and joyous embrace she will enthrall us, and soon 

 merge into the perfect woman the June of summer. 

 To-day I walk to the Tomoka cabin at Misener's 

 Landing. The way takes me past the "old chimneys," 

 over a causeway wide and beautiful, which winds in 

 and out among palms and palmettos, moss and dense 

 foliage. This is succeeded by a mile of sandy road, 

 bordered with underbrush, beyond which are the 

 high, open pine woods. Scattered at intervals among 

 the pines, is a scrubby live oak with dense evergreen 

 foliage. Here and there is a pine snapped off in the 

 breeze, but otherwise the woods are free from ob- 

 structions. 'Tis the long-leaved pine, Pinus palus- 

 tris Mill., 'which flourishes in these barrens. The 

 needles or leaves are at times eighteen inches in 

 length. The stems of the young trees are scaly or 

 scurfy to the top. This is the most common species of 

 pine in east Florida, and the most valuable of all the 

 pines growing in the southern states. From its lum- 

 ber the houses and fences are mainly constructed, 

 while from its sap or juice, ninety per cent, of the 

 resin, turpentine, pitch and tar of commerce are ob- 

 tained. It has a number of common names other 

 than long-leaved pine, among which yellow pine, pitch 

 pine, red pine and broom pine are the ones most 



