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The evening air was crisp but not cool enough for a fire. 

 Nevertheless, we expected a swarm of mosquitoes as the evening 

 progressed and so we collected a supply of light-wood knots and 

 built a slow fire under a log. Thus, we soon had a fire which 

 required little replenishing and the smoke from which, happily 

 enough, kept away from us those troublesome insects that soon 

 could be heard on all sides as they buzzed their unholy tunes 

 in the surrounding shadows. 



Besides being moderately weary from our exertions of the 

 day, we planned to rise early next morning and so went to bed 

 early. Our bed-covering was brought along with us, but to make 

 sleeping more comfortable we gathered a big pile of Spanish 

 moss, which formed the foundation of our bed. 



Next morning we rose at daybreak, had a quick breakfast, 

 and set out for the ravine. It was a delightful place. It seemed 

 as if we had stepped into an exotic paradise, or rather into a 

 huge greenhouse. The atmosphere was warm and humid, and 

 the dew was dripping gently from the trees all about us. 



Besides a spade, a bucket, and an axe, we had also brought 

 with us a quantity of burlap for balling the plants. It was our 

 desire to get well-shaped, small plants of a foot or so in height 

 rather than larger specimens, for the smaller a plant is, generally 

 speaking, the more easily and successfully it can be transplanted. 



We soon found that we were going to have a busy morning. 

 We made our way through the grove and selected the specimens 

 we were to take back with us. The soil there was unusually well- 

 drained both because of its large content of sand and because 

 of the sloping sides of the ravine. We had a long trip ahead of us 

 and as the weather in Florida at that time was dry and warm we 

 felt that it was necessary for us to water thoroughly each speci- 

 men we dug up so as to prevent it from drying out. 



The closest water supply was in the bottom of the deep 

 ravine. As I have said before, it was a big job to climb the steep, 

 slippery sides even empty-handed, but with a bucket of water 

 to fetch up, it was obviously even more difficult. One by one, 

 however, we got them dug, burlapped, and watered, so that by 

 noon we had succeeded in getting some fifteen specimens. We 

 were now ready to stop work. 



Soon afterward we were on our way home, and with us we 

 brought our little treasure of young trees. These were added to 



