The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-12
CLASSIFICATION OF
The LANDS OF FLORIDA

ture. divides them into three classes,
and his department has proved by
actual experiments that each class
is good. He says:
"First-class pine land in Florida is
wholly unlike anything found in
any other State. Its surface Is usual
" covered for several inches deep
with a dark vegetable mold. beneath
which to the depth of several fee.
is a chocolate-cOlored sandy loan,
mixed for the most part with lime
stone rock. The fertility and dura-
bility of this character of land may
be estimated from the well-knOwn
fact that in the older settled districts
this kind OF soil has been cultivated
for as many as twenty years success
fully in corn or cotton without a
pound OF any sort of fertilizer. and
are still as productive as ever; prac-
tically, then, these lands are indes-
tructible. 1t is on this class of lands
that both truck and fruit growing
is most successful, and which pro-
duces the finest quality of Sea Is
land cotton. 1t is also fine farming
land and yields good crops under or
binary methods of cultivation. BY
the growing of leguminOus plants
these soils and all other pine lands
can be continually kept in a high
state of fertility.
The sccond-class pine lands, which
make up the largest portion of lands,
are practically all productive. They
are not hlly, but for the most part
undulating in their surface. In some
places, however, these elevations
amount to hills. Some of these hills
in fernando county are regarded
among the highest points In the
State. Underlying the surface is
clay mari, lime rock and sand.
These lands, from their accessibility
and productiveness, the facility Of
fertilizing with cattle penning and
the impression Of their greater
healthfulness than hammock lands
have induced their enclosure and till
age, when the richer hammock lands
we're near by, but more difhcult to
prepare for cultivation.
Some Of these lands have NO regu-
lar compact clay under them, or. at
least, not in reach of plant roots.
This fact is taken frequently a. an
evidence against them, since the
popular prejudice is decidedly In IA
vor Of . clay sub-soil. This objec-
ton, II It really be one, is taken for
more than 1t 10 worth. for clay prop
er. or aluminium, a. the chemists call
1t, is not food for plants. Its uses
to the plant are purely mechanical.
It serves as a reservoir for storage
Of moisture in times Of drought as
well as to hold firmly the roots of the
growing trunk. but not to feed the
hungry or thirsty plant.
Even the lands of the third rate"
or most inferior class, are by no
means worthless under the climate
of Florida. This class of lands may
be divided into two orders: the one
comprising high. rolling, sandy dis
tricts, which are sparsely covered
with a stunted growth of black
jack" and pine, and near the lower
east coast. scrub hickory and gaul-
berry shrubs. 1t is also on much
similar soil along the east coast that
the finest pineapples are produced;
the other embracing low. fat swampy
regions, which are frequently stud
ded with bay gauls," and are oc-
cassionally inundated, but which are
covered with luxuriant vegetation,
and very generally with considerable
quantities Of valuable timber. The
former Of these. it is now ascertain
ed. is we'll adapted to growth of
Sisal Hemp. which is a valuable
tropical production. This plant 1.-THE
Agave Sisalana), and the Agave
Mexican, also known as Maguey, the
Pulque Plant, the Century Plant,
ETC., have both been introduced into
Florida, and they have both grown
in great perfection on the poorest
Il uIo ~ <ho oo,,c<ex All Hhnc.,