FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
129 
A most competent warden and at the 
same time a naturalist of no mean ability 
has been employed by the Federation for 
more than a year, not only to guard the 
Park from depredation and fire, but to 
perform the difficult and delicate task of 
opening up paths with the least possible 
loss of plant life. 
A comfortable lodge has been built for 
his use, with water and light plants and a 
garage. There are to be rooms set aside 
for scientists wishing to remain in the 
Park for study, and it will be possible 
for visitors to obtain a light luncheon 
from the warden’s wife. Though the 
Park is 13 miles from Homestead, there 
are sometimes as many as 50 visitors in 
a day, with the number constantly in¬ 
creasing. The furnishing of the lodge 
promises to be a labor of love with the 
clubs, and various plans are on foot to 
carry out unique designs. 
The grant by the Legislature carried an 
exemption from all taxation, but no ap¬ 
propriation, so that the financing of the 
Park has been a problem which has taxed 
the ingenuity of the club women, though 
it has never sapped their courage nor 
weakened their faith. 
The Dade County Commissioners ap¬ 
propriated $1,000.00; another $1,000.00 
was raised by a mile of dimes and a chain 
letter scheme; friends have been appre¬ 
ciative and generous; some money has 
been borrowed; but while the burden has 
been heavy, the reward has justified every 
effort, and the committee in charge has 
handled the Park business in so able a 
manner that no one despairs of the out¬ 
come. It is confidently expected that the 
present Legislature, realizing that the 
great trust of Royal Palm State Park has 
fallen into worthy hands, will make a suf¬ 
ficient appropriation to insure its main¬ 
tenance and steady development. 
The Federation is almost as enthusi¬ 
astic over Ingraham Highway as over the 
Park, since it was largely through the 
efforts of Mr. J. E. Ingraham that the 
wonderland came into their possession, 
and there is accordingly, a marvellous 
plan for making the highway which bears 
his name a wonder road bordered by 
royal palms and yellow flowering shrubs, 
the green and yellow of the Federation 
colors. 
On November 23, 1916, during the 
week of the Federation Convention in 
Miami, the Park was formally dedicated 
by the president, Mrs. W. S. Jennings, 
and the Ingraham Highway, by the Hon¬ 
orable S. A. Belcher, Chairman of the 
Dade County Board of Commissioners. 
The day was a remarkable one in the his¬ 
tory of the Federation. An interesting 
program was carried out, Mrs. John Dick¬ 
inson Sherman, Conservation Chairman 
of the General Federation making the 
principal address; Mr. Ingraham and Dr. 
Chas. Simpson also spoke. 136 automo¬ 
biles carried over 1,100 people to the Park 
for the day, and the Woman’s Club of 
Homestead served an elaborate luncheon 
to more than 600 of the visitors. 
Now while the women of the clubs have 
advanced rapidly and with enthusiasm 
along the trail blazed by the pioneer Hor¬ 
ticultural Society; while they have worked 
with almost fevered intensity for beauti¬ 
fication and conservation, their minds, 
just now, are turning to other and more 
serious needs, and the 8,000 trained work- 
