128 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
interesting story, but, to be brief, in 1915, 
soon after Mrs. W. S. Jennings became 
president, the Legislature ceded to the 
Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs, a 
tract of 960 acres, in its midst, the fairy¬ 
land of Paradise Key, to be maintained as 
Royal Palm State Park. At the same 
time, conditioned upon the grant, Mrs. 
Mary Lily Flagler-Bingham gave the 
Federation another 960 acres as endow¬ 
ment. This endowment land did not im¬ 
mediately adjoin the Park, so was, sub¬ 
sequently, exchanged for other tracts 
which do, and the entire 1920 acres lie 
together and on the Ingraham Highway, 
the last 78-raile lap of the Dixie Highway, 
which runs from Miami to Cape Sable 
and is hard surfaced, not only from 
Miami to the Park, but through it and 
for some distance beyond it, making the 
entire tract easy of access. 
The jungle part of Royal Palm Park 
comprises 350 acres; contains hundreds of 
royal palms, large and small; a tropical 
growth which, botanically, belongs to the 
West Indies, is peculiar unto itself, and 
not duplicated anywhere in the United 
States; 241 forms of plant life, from 
mushrooms up; over 60 varieties of 
trees; and between 50 and 100 kinds of 
birds. There are gigantic live oaks whose 
spreading branches form the leafy roofs 
of what might be called “out-door audi¬ 
toriums ;” there is grey-green moss in 
graceful festoons, and every exquisite 
variation of color on the tree-trunks; 
there are head-high ferns, and tiny, 
dainty growths that only close scrutiny 
can disclose; there are wonderful vines, 
and orchids, and tree snails; beauty over¬ 
head, beauty underfoot, such a riot of 
loveliness as to overwhelm one anew with 
the mystery and power of nature, and 
make the mere beholding almost a sacri¬ 
lege, and an intrusion. 
Planning to destroy as little as possible 
of the natural beauty of the hammock, 
narrow paths lead from the one broad 
road which is allowed and which passes 
through the park. There are at present 
about six miles of these paths, named 
‘‘The Mrs. W. S. Jennings Paths” by the 
appreciative women of the Federation, in 
recognition of the wonderful president 
to whom they are indebted for the posses¬ 
sion of Royal Palm State Park. 
Scientists in all parts of the country 
are manifesting interest in the park and 
asking the privilege of studying its pe¬ 
culiar and unusual flora. 
Dr. Chas. Simpson, of national fame 
and world wide experience, and Dr. J. K. 
Small, Curator of the Bronx Botanical 
Gardens, N. Y., have been of untold as¬ 
sistance already, in the work of prelimi¬ 
nary classification, and promise yet fur¬ 
ther help. Both are enthusiastic regard¬ 
ing the Park, and deeply thankful for its 
preservation. 
It is planned to make the Park a bird 
reserve and sanctuary, and the valuable 
co-operation of Mr. Edward Mcllhenny 
of Louisiana, the greatest living bird con¬ 
servationist, is promised in the work of 
restoring many lovely forms of bird life, 
formerly abounding in Florida but now 
well-nigh extinct. A deer park is one of 
the visions of the future, and a scenic 
driveway, bordered by a canal, to extend 
entirely around the Park, has already been 
outlined by skilled engineers, but is too 
expensive to be more than dreamed of. 
