The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28
THE CLIMATE OF MIDDLE FLORIDA.

THE CLIMATE OF MIDDLE FLORIDA.
Vast quantities of reading matter have
been published about "Florida's incom-
parable climate ;" and while due allow
ance should be made for the enthusiasm
of those who experience for the first time
extraordinary contrast. between the rigors
of Northern winter and the delights of
the same season in semi-tropical Florida,
it is not too much to say that each new
conner will discover charms before un-
heard of, and, making application Of the
results of residence to his or her particu-
lar case, will find, according to locality,
some special excellence, nicely adapted to
the individual taste or prediction or
some well-defned popularity to be en-
joyed, even long after the novelty of con-
trast has worn off, or, (what is far more
desirable) growing more and more at
tractive, as experiences multiply and COM
parsons are made with other sections Of
the State.
The distinctive peculiarly of the eli
mate of Middle Florida has been we'll ex-
pressed in the words of recent settler
from one of the Western States, who,
after visiting, at different seasons, many
other localities, returned to Middle Flori-
da, where several years Of residence have
given him the privilege of speaking Gas
one having authority"
"What l like about Middle Florida"
said he, ''s the fact that you can live
here all the year round, without once
thinking of being driven out for two or
three months in the middle of summer,
to hunt cool place. 1t is true that a
large proportion of the old residents of
the southern counties think nothing of
diving there all the time, and indeed,
many of them appear to prefer it, rather
than make all annual exodus TO cooler
chimes but to one coming, as | did, from
Northwestern State, the length of the
heated term, and the frequent spells of
intense heat, tempered though, they are,
by the breezes that blow across the pc
ninsula, there must be a long, uninter-
rupted residence there to reconcile one
to it,
Here in Middle Florida, however," he
continued, "is found the same modi6ca-
ton of the summer heats, while the
springs seem little later, and the
autumns earlier, shortening the period Of
greatest heat, and making the climate
more nearl y like the most enjoyable sea
sons of the North and West. Besides
this, the winters are not so devoid Of the
reviving and rejuvenating influences of
frost the frequency of which diminishes the
causes of disease, .effectually killing out
mala"iai 'spores,' microbes etc., at
least once year, and reinvigorating the
system, and preparing it to withstand
successfully the influences of the sue
ceeding summer heats.
"And above ALL" he added, with some
degree Of vehemence, "from the most
careful investigation have been able to
make, by frequent consultation with the
oldest residents and physicians, according
to their experience and observation ex-
tending, in some cases, through period
of nearly fifty years, am fully convinced
that yellow fever cannot exist in this re-
gion."
To this testimony may be added that
of the records Of temperature preserved
with extreme care throughout series of
years, showing that while the region
bordering on the northern curve Of the
Gulf coast is swept by the Gulf breezes
in summer, and cleansed and reiuvenated
by the frosts of winter, neither the ex-
tremes nor the means Of temperature vary
very much from those o. Ter sections of
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