'*'' Proceedings of tee Farmer^ Club. 24:7 



growing on the pine. But its most favored locality is on those 

 large magnificent live oaks which overhang our glorious river — 

 the St. John. Unlike the misletoe, it does not penetrate the bark 

 and woody fiber, but ramifies its sparse roots into the cracks, ine- 

 qualities and crevices of the bark. These roots seem merely for 

 support, not for nourishment. It may be truly said to be an air 

 plant, as it derives no nourishment from the bark, but wholly and 

 solely from the air and moisture of the atmosphere. When you 

 pluck it from the tree, no matter where you throw it (provided it 

 is on woody matter), the plant will live. You cannot easily kill it, 

 except you bruise the stem. It seems to live as well without as 

 with water, though from their abundance on the banks of our river, 

 it would seem as though that was a favored locality. This plant 

 is one of the kindest friends to the hunter and the traveler; for 

 no matter where found, whether on the stunted live oak in our 

 burning, almost endless sandy, barren scrubs, where no water can 

 be found for ten or twelve miles, or by the river bank,^ wherever 

 foimd, if you pluck it from the tree, and invert the stem over a tin 

 cup, you will obtain from each plant from two to three ounces of 

 the finest, purest cold water that it ever was the fortune of a thirsty 

 traveler to partake of. Where this water is obtained I cannot 

 imagine, unless from the heavy dews we have at night. You can 

 well imagine the joy and pleasure evinced by the wearied hunter, 

 as he descries in the distance a lonely live oak, after a day of tire- 

 some hunting in our hot, burning, sandy country; say, for instance, 

 on a July or August day; for well he knows that from the air plants 

 on that live oak, he will obtain an abundance of fresh, pure, water, 

 cold as ice-water, almost — while even the plant is exposed to the 

 burning sun. 



K you will tie the plants by the root to any rough-bai-ked oak, 

 and occasionally for a few weeks syringe them twice a week or 

 more with water, you will find in a little while they will adhere to 

 the bark, not as the misletoe does, by entering the wood and deriv- 

 ing its nourishment from the sap, but simply for support. With a 

 little care it will live. Remove it on approach of cold weather 

 to your sitting room, not, however, too near the fire. This j^ou can 

 readily do by tyfng it to a billet of rough barked firewood, for this 

 plant grows as well on dead timber as live wood. 



If any member of your Club, or readers of your proceedings, 

 should wish specimens of these plants, I will send them by mail, 

 two of each of the six varieties, if in return they will send me 



