Florida is infested with a number of pestiferous weeds and among the worst of these are the sand burs (Cenchrus spp.) of which we have four or five species; Boerhaavia, a branching plant with rounded wavy leaves and minute purple flowers followed by small burs; Bidens leucantha, a common weed with white flowers and flat, two-awned seeds which attach themselves most lovingly to every passer-by. All these spread themselves by their seeds which fasten on man and beast. They are not indigenous to the virgin forest, though they come in soon after cultivation commences. Their seeds germinate only on or very near the surface of the ground and if one will dig a hole in the sand two or three inches deep and bury the plant and all its seeds, scraping all that lie about into the hole, they will never come up. It is a good plan to step on the mound and press it down well.

Another weed nuisance is the smut grass (Sporobolus indicus) a wanderer from India which has become completely naturalized in the Southern States as well as over many of the warmer parts of the world. It is generally found along roads and paths or much trodden places where it soon occupies the ground to the exclusion of almost everything else. It seems to have a wonderful capacity to scatter its seeds for they constantly come up in the most unexpected places. I know of no way of eradicating it except by pulling or hoeing it up and burying it with all its seeds a couple of inches deep. I have been able by constant vigilance to keep my grounds reasonably clear of all of these by the above means but fresh seeds are constantly being brought in from other places. Cyperus, or Nut Grass, is a terrible weed which takes complete possession of ground when once it is established. It is said that hogs will clean it out or it may be destroyed by constant hoeing.

It sometimes happens that a plant which is put into the open ground absolutely refuses to grow for a series of years, though it may seem to be in perfect health; or that it refuses to blossom. In such cases it is best to be patient and, instead of digging it up and throwing it away, let it remain and assume that you can wait as long as it can. Give it careful culture and a little fertilizer during the growing season; a small quantity of stable or liquid manure may be good, and it is probable that in time you can overcome its balky disposition and be rewarded with growth and bloom. Again small plants sometimes actually deteriorate, they grow smaller and smaller. This may be caused by dry or cold weather, insect ravages or unsuitable soil and conditions. In some such cases I have carefully lifted the plants and put them back into pots in the slat house. In fact I have several plants that have been put out and taken up a number of times, and at last are doing well.

It seems necessary sometimes to use diplomacy, if I may use such an expression, when handling these delicate, sensitive things. We are wholly unacquainted with their native habitats in very many instances and must grope about blindly in our endeavors to find what is suitable for them. They appear to have their whims and humors like a gasolene engine, and one must favor them if he hopes to succeed. But what a joy it is after spending years, it may be, with some such sickly, backward thing to see it grow strong and flourish at last, to feel that, to a certain extent, you have conquered the stubborn forces of nature, to behold the wonder of long delayed growth and bloom. Verily, there is more joy over the one plant that was lost and found than over the ninety and nine that went not astray.

If one must make his home in the hammock I would advise that he cut out as little of it as possible, and that what he does cut should be done gradually, because if too much is cleared away at once it will give hurricanes a chance to break it up badly. One can plant exotic things from time to time as he takes out the native growth and thus his plantings will be sheltered from high winds and frost. In the lower part of the state it is an excellent idea to plant beggar weed or pigeon peas rather thickly in grounds where tender things are set out, and as these are rapid growers they will form a fine shelter and protection in time of frost. They at the same time furnish an abundance of nitrogen for the soil.

More and more as the years go by I am coming to favor the plan of close planting and of thickly scattering hardy, rapid growing things among the tender stuff. Leave the clean, healthy pine trees and a goodly number of low growing palmettos for a first protection; then put in rather abundantly such things as the oleanders, the Pittosporums, Prunus caroliniana, Dauben-tonias, Gordonias, some of the hardier Eucalypts, Magnolias, the evergreen oaks, the hardy bamboos and a variety of similar things which will make a shelter in a short time. Then plant among these, as soon as they have reached some size, the tender things, thinning out the branches of the hardy plants as the tender ones need room. When the hardy trees begin to crowd badly cut them out here and there as needed but leave enough for a good shelter. Never plant tender things where the morning sun will fall on them nor where the northwest wind will touch them. In case of severe frost the hardy plants will still make a show of green.