The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-03
MANY CHARMS
OF FLORIDA
UNCLE SANS ONE UNIQUE
TROPICAL COMMONWEALTH.
Wonders Of It's Climate, Soil, Agri-
cultural Resources and Natural
Beauties--silver Springs, One of
Natures Most Interesting Phe-
nomena-What Is to Be Seen on a
Journey from Jacksonville to
Tampa.
Written for the Tribune.

~ Florida, the world renowned winter
resort-that 1t mayScem unneces-
sarN to enunerate the many attractions
which are to be found in the "F'lowery
state" but the reader and the uniniti-
atet. in following us through the penin-
sula and the state in general. will have
better conception of the trip, If
we first make mention of the topogra-
ply, soil. climate and productions of
the country through which we will
pass, covering both sides of the PENN
sula, and over the back bone of the
state; also among its numerous lakes
ana rivers. AS before stated, Jackson
vile has three gates of enteranCe. also
three gates of exit into the state at
large-the Eastern. the Central and the
Western. The Eastern is the most i'm
pOrtant to Florida. AS we entered by
the Eastern gate on the famous Sea
board Air Line" we will continue on
the same road southward to Fort
Tampa. called "the jumping off place"
on the Gulf of Mexico and il Is only
just to say a saving of A. miles is made
in taking the Seaboard in an eight
hour run from Jacksonville to Tampa,
although, THE schedule is the same on
the Plant System.
OUR TROPIC STATE.
Florida is a vast peninsula, a new
born of the sca"--the most southern,
and therefore the most tropical division
of our country. 1t extends sOuthward
nearly 400 miles between two oceans
the Atlantic and thc Gulf of Mexico
with an average breadth of 125 miles.
It's surface is not, as some suppose,
one continued mOIass although, one
twelfth is covered by water: but prin-
cipally a sandy, rolling country and for
the most part covered with immense
forests of yellow or pitch pine. inter-
spcrsed with denscly and heavily wood
cd strips or patches. called "hammocks.
The whole state lies upon vast bed
of coral, raised in the sea and covered
with a stratum of sand largely mingled
with dccomposcd coral and sed she'll
In some parts of the state this decom
posed coral has become concrete. form
ing IA sort of lime rock, and i'm other
| the sea shells, more or less broken,
have also concreted, forming a layer
of peculiar rock called "Coquina." In
some portions clay is found near the
surface. Such is the foundation of
| through which we will travel.
The lands of Florida may be desig-
mated as "hGh hammock" "low ham
| mock" swamp" Savanna" and the
different kinds of pine lands. The gem
eral character of East Florida soil is,
however light and sandy, not calculat-
ed to sustain continued and exhaus-
tive system of cropping.
IT'S AGRICULTURE,
Florida is almost exclusively an agri-
cultural state, it's manufactures being
limited to "a few cigar and cotton fac
tories, etc. While it is the smallest
cotton producer of all the Atlantic or
Gulf states. still So per cent. of all
the Sea Island cotton is grown in Flori-
da Five million dollars year is the
product of cigars at Key West alone.
OF the $3.50 square miles which COM
prise the area of Florida--ovcr 4,4OO or
one-twelfth, is water surface-more
than any other state. The Ever
glades"-Cthe vast cypress swamp of
Florida) are still uneXplored. The
swamp lands are not all vaIueless.
When drained, they are the richest in
the state, the soil being decayed vegc-
table matter, which reaches a great
depth, like that around Puget Sound
and will yield four hossheads of sugar
to the acre, and several million acres
in Central and Southern Florida are
capable of Improvement for agriculture
purposes today. The greater part of
Florida is covered with what is known
as pine land"-the most fertile, lying
along the Gulf coast and in Northern
| Florida. The most desira BILE lands OF
| the state CsinGe they need neither
draining nor constant fertilizing) are
| the high hammOCkS" they are high
tabout $50 feet above the sea- undulat-
ing and covered with IA thick growth OF
live oak, hickory and magnolia.
Pine regions are mainly covered with
a kind of wire grass, an unfailing in
dication Of pOOrness; and the dwarf
palmetta' is also marked and accom-.
panying characteristic of such soils
The hammock lands" are of two kinds
the gray and the clay. The former
are the poorer and soon exhausted but
the latter compare with alluvial soils
in strength. Both are attractive to the
traveller, for in them is vegetation most
rank, luXuriant, diversified, and beau
tiful.
PINE LANDS.
The pine lands (yellow), form the
basis of Florida, and are divided into
three classes-denoting first, second anC
third rate pine lands. The first rate
pine land is covered for several inches
with dark vegetable mould, and be
meath for several feet is dark chocola tt
sandy laom, with lime stone, etc. Ir
fertility 1t has yielded for over a score
of years of successive cultivation with,
out manure, four hundred pounds OF
Sea Island cotton TO the acre, and il
still as productive as ever. Early in tn,
season, sugar cane having twenty
joints we'll matured is grown upor
them and of a superior quality.
The second rate pine lands" which
form the largest proportion of Florida
are based on mari, clay, or limestone
and usually heavily timbered with tn,
best species of yellow pine They ar,
for the most part, high, rolling, health,
and well watered. They will produc,
for several years, without aid of man
ure, 1000 pounds Of the best quality o
sugar per acre. and 800 pounds of Sei
Island cotton; also the best quality o
Cuba tobacco, oranges, lemons, lines
and other tropical productions.
The pine lands of the third rate, arr
by no means worthless under the eli
mate of Florida. They are found ol
high, rolling and sandy districts whicl
are sparsely covered with a stunte,
growth of BLACK Jack" and pine-an,
also in low, fiat, swampy regions whicl
are covered with invaluable timber
The high lands afford fine natural pas
turage.
| There is one general feature I'm m