SOUTHERN Florida is preeminently the land for successful and profitable gardening on the intensive plan, from the fact that every square foot of the land devoted to this industry can be kept profitably occupied by growing plants throughout every month of the year. There need be no vacant spaces in the garden, and land and fertilizer can be utilized to the fullest extent. October is the month in which to commence regular gardening operations here.

The primary requisites for the highest and most complete success in Florida, are a tract of fertile soil, well drained, either naturally or artificially ; a good fence around it that will exclude both tame and wild animals (I prefer woven wire fencing with inch and one-half or two-inch mesh); a force-pump, tank, hose and other appliances for supplying and distributing water from a well, lake or pond whenever the heavens fail to furnish the requisite amount of moisture ; and readily adjustable protective covering to shield the more tender plants from the occasional frosts of winter or the scorching rays of the summer sun.

The land should be abundantly supplied with a large amount of thoroughly decomposed vegetable matter to retain moisture and fertilizer for the use of the plant. The old settlers who have cattle supply the requisite amount of manure by cow-penning the land for a few weeks before the time of planting, by which means they secure the benefit of the liquid as well as the solid excretions, and pack the land firmly by the trampling of the cattle, a course decidedly beneficial to the loose Florida soils. Those who do not have cattle depend upon the use of chemical fertilizers. Cotton-seed meal is most largely used, but usually in conjunction with bone meal and potash, or cotton seed hull ashes, or hard wood ashes - ashes being regarded as especially valuable. The incorporation of a large portion of the fertilizers with the soil several weeks before planting the seed or transplanting the plants from the beds where they were started is considered the better plan. '

A piece of hammock, or a "tract of comparatively moist land on the margin of a lake, or a well-drained "bay-head," is usually preferred for a garden, though many excellent gardens are lately being made with good results near, residences on the high prime and black jack lands. With these, however, ready facilities for copious and frequent watering are indispensable, as there is so little vegetable matter in these soils that the water does not spread from side to side in the ground, but takes a direct downward course.

On these higher and less retentive soils, muck dug the year previous and exposed to the atmosphere, or composted with shell lime or potash, is used with excellent results, not because of its especial manu-rial value, but because its use makes the soil more retentive of moisture.

The most wide-awake cultivators give their ground several deep plowings, with as many harrowings, applying a large portion of their fertilizer during the progress of the work, the aim being to make a deep, rich, mellow soil, and afterward rake a good supply into the earth. After planting, the ground is compacted with a heavy roller. In fact, the manner of preparing the land, fertilizing and planting it, is about the same in Florida as in other states, except that there being a woeful lack of barnyard manure, the chief dependence has to be on chemical fertilizers, even for the hammock as well as the pine lands. The indications are, however, that cattle raising will soon become more general.

South Florida has four distinct seasons - occasional rains in the late autumn and winter months, usually sufficient for the needs of growing plants ; a dry spell of a few weeks during the spring months ; the wet hot season with showers, usually early in the afternoon, almost continuously during the calendar summer months'; hot dry weather in September and the first part of October. The exact time of beginning and length of each of these seasons, however, varies from season to season and year to year. Besides, there is a cycle of change covering some seven or eight years that modifies these lesser cycles of the year. During this term of years the seasons gradually change from extremely wet to extremely dry years and as gradually to wet again, when the swamps and ponds again fill with water, and so on in a ceaseless round. This fact seems to be well established, and corresponds thus far with my nearly seven years' experience in Florida. Again, the annual wet season may begin in May or may be deferred until the last of June. The almost daily showers may be continued well into October. These showers, however, are generally of short duration, usually lasting but a few minutes, rarely an hour.

The dry spells in spring and fall also vary several weeks, as regards time of commencement and duration. The heavy dews, however, prevent scorching and devastating drouths, and some of the crops are sure to thrive. Hence, a varied production is emphasized, as well as different times of planting if one expects to attain profitable and sat-factory results from their efforts.

Orange Co., Florida. Sherman Adams.