The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-06-05
<-As - 1880 .1.ls AZ sasnGn6a
CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA.

Inc last issue OF Freedom, Col. 4. &.
POSTS paper, contains n comparison
between the above named states from
the pen of Rev. H. w. Thomas, of
Chicago.
The distinguished gentleman says:
1T is only with southern California
that Florida, may be com pared, and
in this, only Western Florida, for no
part of California is tropical.
Southern California is made up of
mountains and valleys, the mountains
are rugged and those nearer the coast
have little timber, are partly covered
with sage brush and low scrubby
growth of pine. The valleys are won
derfulIy productive, producing every
variety of grass, clover, vegetables,
fruits aud grains, with the one tx
cepLiOn of apples for which it IL not
we'll adapted. IN point Of mountain
scenery and the general and abundant
productiveness of soil, it has the adj
vantage, but in other respects il falls
behind Florida. The scarcity of water
and timber is everywhere felt. The
fall OF rain is limited in quantity amt
occurs only at certain and distant
periods. Irrigation is n Necessary
and costly outlay Of labor and money.
The price of wood and coal averages
So per cord and ton.
'In Florida there is plenty of rain,
the springs burst fourth everywhere
and the tiny streams wind their pref
ty ways over the whole country, and
there il not on earth purer or better
drinking water The one great De-
Funiak stands alOne-the largest and
best in the world. And as for timber
and wood, the great hard side pine
stand up in beauty AMI strength, 10y
the million, and there is all abundant
supply of scrub oak and othergrOwths,
so that fuel is plenty and cheap, aud
the side pine knots make the easiest,
gladdest and most cheerful fire to be
found anywhere.
FLORIDA excels California in the
wild berries, as the black and buckle
berries, ard with the mastery over
''sOir'-which is but question OF
time, will have the advantage in
growing peaches. As to melons,
Florida can have no competition. As
to climate and health, We can but
think and feel that California must
suffer in the general comparison.
sin California there is every day a
marked change, a chill III the air to-
ward evening, growing colder as the
sun goes down and continuing during
the night and until the sun is well up
in the morning. These changes of 20
or 80 degrees must tend To produce
rheumatism and catarrah. We were
never in any place, not even Chicago,
where there is such constant guarding
against taking cold a. in California,
and we are told it is so all the year
around. On the other hand, the heat
in the summer is less oppressive than
in Florida"
Here Col. Post adds: ~ want to
say here that the heat in California il
far more oppressive thar in Florida.
There is "a peculiarly about the heat
in the middle of the day in California
that is unbearable; it burns and dries
one up and produces the greatest dis
comfort; whereas in Florida there is
no discomfort about it; it is tempered
by the most delicious breezes i'm
aginable, and every hour of the day
and night, even the hottest weather,
is easily bearable without calling on
ones fortitude or arousing the spirit