FLORIDA.


was about as delightful a season as can be imagined; but,
as that winter was an exceptionally fine one, perhaps it
should not be taken as a criterion. The summer of 1880
was the hottest known in years, in this State. In a few
localities the thermometer attained 1020 on several occa-
sions. Yet I spent the entire summer and autumn in South


Florida, engaged in a vc
of-doors nearly all the t
through the woods at all
sion did I really suffer i
unbearable. In fact, I
summer, and never enjoy
caught out in the sudden
in the rainy season, and


cation that required me to be out-
time. I rode about on horseback
I hours of the day, but on no occa-
from the heat or feel it in any way
thought it a pleasant, agreeable
ed better health. I was frequently
showers-often regular drenches-
was as wet as though I had been


under a shower-bath; but I always remained out and dried
by the wind or sun as the case might be. I saw on three oc-
casions the thermometer register 102, but we were all pre-


pared for warm weather, and did
as such a temperature would indic
-'81 was considered the coldest
years, yet we probably enjoyed tw
sitting out on the verandas as in M
the thermometer went below 40'
it touched 32, damaging tomato


not find it so oppressive
ate. The winter of 1880
and stormiest of many
ro thirds of the evenings,
ay weather. Three times
; once, December 30th,
es and such garden-vege-


tables-also bananas, guavas, and pineapples. O1
the evenings and early mornings in January we
in our rooms, but it was not cold of the North
neither unhealthy nor disagreeable, simply chilly.
plained loudly at 550 above zero.
 This was my experience of the weather in Oran
ty, which is situated considerably north of the


n most of
had fires
ern kind,
We com-


ige Coun-
center of


the State. In the counties farther north, up to the Georgia
line, it was several degrees colder but not freezing-except
the cold snaps in December and March-nor bitter, only
much colder than is usual in Florida. It was in this see-