Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
TWKT THE TWO ZONES Alabama Happily Planted by
 Providence. EVERYTHING DIVERSIFIED Soil, Climate and Products Adapted to the Wants of Every Home-Seeker No
 Matter Where He Halls From.

Alabama comprehendS an area or oV,z9V square miles, of nearly rectangular shape, lying between the parallels or 30 degrees 10 minutes and 30 degrees north latitude, and the meridians of S4 degrees 56 minutes and SS degrees AS min utes west longitude from Greenwich. The area widens a little from its north rrn boundary by Tennessee, as it extends toward the southeast and southwest to its boundary by Florida on the south, by about three-fourths of the width, fif- ty miles north of the gulf. The other fourth projects between Florida on the east and Mississippi on the west, to the gulf coast line, grasping in it's center Mobile bay and it's tributaries.
 The surface of the state is generally level except a portion of the north, through which the Blue ridge extends, but nowhere attains any great elevation; but the broken and rugged surface ex- tending from the foot of the mountains, succeeded by elevated hills southward and through the central portion of the state present many picturesque views and some wild and romantic scenery. The surface gradually slopes, however, until it reaches the vicinity of Mobile bay, less than 100 miles from the gulf, where 1t becomes nearly level and but little above the surface of its waters.
 The principals rivers are the Tennes- see, the MDDlle, lOTlDlBDUe, AldDdfidi Coosa Black Warrior, Perdido and Chat tahoochee, all of them except the Ten nessee having many affuents. The Ten nessee sweeps entirely across the north ern section of the state, from the north west to the northeast corner, forming an irregular curve at Guntersyille, about forty miles south of the northern boun- dary line. It receives no tributaries of consequence on it's southern side, and only three small streams-Elk, Flint and i,,t Doc ix-a1.G nr1 hn hn c in it's course through the state. The Chattahoochee is n large stream, but with no considerable tributaries in the state. It forms part of the eastern boundary and discharges it's waters in the gulf. The Escambia and Choctaw hatchie rivers, with their aff1uents, drain a portion of the southern part of the state and discharge their waters into Pensa cola and Choctawhatchie bays on the Florida coast: but much the greater part of the drainage of the state is ef- fccted by the Mobile river and it's trib utares-the Tombiebee the Alabama, the Coosa the Cahaba, the Talapoosa and the Black Warrior rivers, which chiefly constitute the headwaters of Mo- bile bay. The Tombigbee. coming from Mississippi, receives the waters of the Black Warrior, and at fifty miles above Mobile bay mites with the Alabama, it being already the affiuent of the Coosa, the Tallanoosa and the Cahaba. After the Junction of the Tombigbee and the Alabama. the united rivers become the Mobile river The Tensaw river, a con siderable stream. untes by natural ca- nals with both the Alabama and the Mo- bile rivers but frally makes it's way s an Independent stream. parallel with the Mobile. and dische~ees its waters into Mobile bay. The Rlack Warrior and Alabama rivers are navioable by light draft steamers for 300 miles. The Ten- Y0w. Chatta hoochee. Tnnnessee erd per- dido are also navipa ble by lipht draf fl for a considerable distance. Altogether the extent of steamboat river naViea ton in the state-is about 1900 miles Mobile bay. the main ont]et of the navigahle waters of the state in the extreme sonth western nortion of the state, is about Ah'rty miles long and from three to eight miles broad. and has 1E feet of water at low water In it's main channel. The enna1ler bavs-c~and Bonsecours and Perdido-are shallow and of but little commercial importance.
 -, Extending over to degrees of 1ati t,fde and to noint within deerees of the tropics Alaba ma combines the ve~ etab1e nroducts of both the tamnerate and saroi-tron'cal regions. Tn the north the white. red rin and post oak; the hickory. chestnut poplar cedar, elm. r,rlher,v u,npuolia and nine pro the .a aprincipal forest trees Relow latitude 33 degrees the forests begin to assume more semi-tronical character. with an abundance of live oak and other larPe traAs festoored with moss Further south sti,I thnre are extensive cane breaks over large and almost impassa- hle tracts studded with gigantic cedars, cypress and other large trees of sombre foliaee towering above the iungle.
 Frnit trees. shrubberv and vines are abundant. Cranes aDples, pears nlumS, peaches and small frrits more or less throughout the northern nortion of the state: and figs. pomegranates. olives or anees etc. in the southern Dortioo,
 The climate varies with latitude and elevation. Tn the northern section the climate is delightfnl and healthfn' The temperature is seldom below 32 degrees Fahrenhet in winter. and in summer the elevation is sufficient to nrevent the sweltering heat of the 1owlands of the eouthern states m the samo latitude Huntsville and Florence. on the Tennes- see river. are favorite resorts for inva- lids and but rarely suhiect to the mala- rial disea ses common to the valleys on some of the other rivers and the lowlands of the southern section. Annual mean temnera tnre for series of vearS in the centrel counties 62 deereeS Fahre"heit; and the rapoe from 20 degraes to 1Oh de- grees At Montgomery. with the ther- mometer 3a feet above the ground. an . nual reon el : deprees' summer. S1 de- grees: winter AZ doorees. At Mobile thern ometer GA foet above the ground annnal mean. 65 6 de~rees; summer, s1 1eerees. winter. h0.3 degrees-range 20
 
 Annnal mean re'ative humidity. at Montgomerv eh7 daorees: summer 65 degrees. wi-ter 72.S degrees. At Mobile. annual 2" c decreeS: summer, 76 degrees. winter 796 degrees.
 Jn the southern courties in defant of soil draina~a and an ahundance of pure water malarial diseases prevail more or lese throuphout the year. and in summer and autumn mo e'ignant feve~s are not uncommon. Of the water supnlv. in the northern and for the most part Tn the central portion of the state. the wells and springs furnish an abundance of the very best quality hut in the southern portion the only safe dependence is on thet which is obtanable from artesian wells.
 Mobile is delightfully."- situated city on a sandy soil. on the western shore. at the head of Mobile bay. in the midst of pine woods growth round about. It ought to be, what it has too often been said to be. and would be one of the most healthful cities of the country but for the neglect of soil drainage and sewer