As the climate of any region has much to do with the character of its wild and cultivated plants it may be proper here to give a brief account of that of Florida.

The lower keys reach down to within a degree of the Tropic of Cancer, and, with the extreme southern end of the mainland, have a climate much like that of western Cuba. The wind in Florida, especially during the cooler season, usually swings around the compass in the same direction as the hands of a clock. Whenever, during the cooler part of the year, it gets into the northwest there is a decided lowering of the temperature: it usually blows from this direction for about three days and then shifts to the northeast. During these "Northers," as they are called, frost may occur over any part of Florida, even to the lowermost keys.

I am aware that this statement will be contradicted by many who are residents of this region. In the latter part of December 1906, a severe and protracted norther visited South Florida, lasting eight days in the Miami region. Sharp frost occurred five nights in succession, doing great damage to tender vegetation. This norther swept over Cuba, extending to the southern part of the island, and near Cienfuegos it wrought great destruction to the sugar cane at the Soledad Plantation. I was informed by Mr. Hughes, the manager, that ice formed on ponds and still water, and at the beautiful home of the Cabadas near that city, I saw many young trees which they told me the freeze had killed outright.

No doubt I shall be condemned for making these statements but I am simply telling the truth, facts which ought to be known by every one who intends making a home and growing fruit or ornamentals in this state. No matter in what part of it one may settle he should be prepared for occasional frosts and should know all that is known about what is best to do to protect his plants.

The climate of the extreme northern part of the state, especially inland, may be called warm temperate, and the nights in winter are cool, so that a fire is needed to sit by in the evenings and sharp frosts are not uncommon. In the lower part of the state the temperature at sunrise, except during northers, is usually from 6o° to 700 with a midday temperature of from 700 to 780 and the native vegetation is largely tropical. As a general thing the plants of the tropics grow and flourish from year to year, only suffering when an occasional frost occurs.

The greater part of the rainfall comes during the warm season. Heavy rains are likely to begin in the latter part of May and continue with more or less interruption until about the last of October. It must not be supposed that these so-called rainy seasons are periods of anything like continual rain. Showers sometimes fall every day for awhile; then there may be a number of rainless days and the showers vary from a few drops to a downpour of several inches. During the dry season there is an average of from two to three inches of rain a month and, as a rule, the fall is fairly well distributed throughout the year. This is conducive to vegetable growth as most of the precipitation occurs during the growing season, while during the period of plant rest enough falls to keep vegetation in good condition. The rainfall varies in different parts of the state from 40 inches on some of the lower keys to 65 in the upper part of the state.

Hurricanes occur occasionally, usually from August to the end of October. They may visit any part of the state, lasting from a few hours to several days. It is possible for them to come at any season, though we feel practically safe from November first until the beginning of the rainy season. Sometimes they do little damage beyond breaking off limbs and switching young growth and leaves; at other times they are very destructive to buildings and vegetation. In some cases large trees are blown over and nearly all the leaves are stripped from the trees. If such a storm occurs before the first of October and the weather following is mild new leaves are likely to develop, but if a storm comes later than that the trees are most likely to go through the winter more or less naked. Ordinarily there is a very heavy rainfall during these storms but sometimes there is little or none. During such dry hurricanes a large amount of salt is carried from the sea by the wind, proving very destructive to foliage and small limbs, especially on the side of vegetation towards the wind. At such times forests that are not overthrown may be almost destroyed, partly by the salt spray and in part, perhaps, by the passage of electricity from the clouds to the earth. This salt spray does not especially affect vegetation when there is an abundant rainfall or at any great distance inland.

Most of these hurricanes originate in the Caribbean or to the eastward of it, moving to the west and north until they reach the Tropic of Cancer, when they veer to the northward and finally to the northeastward. The wind may blow from any direction.

Much has been published on the subject of protecting plants from frost and a good many devices have been used for this purpose, but so far as my experience goes I cannot help acknowledging that we can do but little to defend ourselves from severe freezing. Almost any kind of covering will ward off a light frost, but in case of a sharp freeze such protection does but little good. If by any means the morning sun can be kept from falling on frosted plants they may come through with but little injury; therefore tall trees or a forest standing to the eastward of one's garden should be preserved by all means. If an open space lies to the westward of such a forest the cold air during a time of frost may settle there and a heavy frost result.