f?!c! - Rollins College Experiential Learning

Aug 14, 1924 THIS LETTER IS OUT OF ORDER This is the letter in which
HN says that he would like to see a sample of the wire
netting. "Your way of fixing epiphytes to trees is
undoubtedly good and more to the nature of these plants.
I spent a week with Mr. Bethune at Four Way Ledge
Coconut Grove. I was overwhelmed by what I saw ...
[describes]" "In Mr. Deckert, a naturalist and
artist Mr. Bethune has found an excellent helper.
D. was formerly with Char. Diez (?) Diego(?). I
have not been able to visit either Dr. Simpson nor John
Soer (?), and I could stay only 20 minutes at the
place of my son-in-law, Louis Plipee (?) and had only an hour
with my old friend, Dr. S. Graenicker, at Larkin. Mr.
B. wants me to help him. He wants my collections. He
intends to combine with his Bot. Gardens a tropical
nursery, and for this reason he is trying to have my
son Arno, at present professor of horticulture at Cornell,
with him. His plans are stupendous, but he is indeed, the man
who can carry them through. It looks to me as if he has
Mr. ----- Curtis James behind him, and that would mean
unlimited means. I told him that I would join him if I
could get 10-20 acres good hammock and glades land in
Snapper Creek. I have lost here continuously in spite of
the hard work I did and I am doing. And over at the Miami
region I would have uite a number of kindred spirits to
associate with. Here I have only real, undiluted crackers.
My wife is fire and flame (Feuer und Flame) for the
project. She declines to come here. I have
seen Miami first in April 1886. At that time it was a most
ugly hovel. I saw it again in 1908. My impressions then
were deep and pleasant. At present it is a city with
wonderful suburbs as firm and sound as the rock on which
they stand. A magic city in the true sense of the word.
Compared with this region our west coast is a hundred
years backward. Money did it, combined with enthusiasm
and a go on spirit.
And more about Miami and Bethune. He has found a good
collector in Mexico (State of Vera Cruz) . . . collector
in Costa Rica is very slow.
Oct 19, 1924 The Meads are on a trip. Heavy rains. Caladiums "make a
most wonderful show now." . . . "My son Arno, professor
of floriculture at Cornell, has bought 10 acres in
Gender (?) Hammock (near Snapper Creek) south of
Coconut Grove, of which 5 acres are real prairie land.
This is well drained and he is anxious to have me move
my plants, especially the caladiums, over to the east
coast, but I am in doubts whether or not I shall do so.
I expect to stay here if the Land Co. will dig a good
large drainage canal" . . . expects to be able to fill
orders for 40,000 tubers. Has lost customers in the
past and now has numerous competitors. He has been
living in a small one-room shack. Arno wants him to
move "likely have to go in the retail business,
as my son intends to get the services of a good commercial
gardkner for me . . . the food I am getting (mostly
grit6 and bacon) is the poorest and most insufficient
I ever have had in my life