The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-20
OUTSIDERS KNOW LITTLE
Of CONDITIONS
IN FLORIDA
EDITOR OF JACKSON (MICH.) PA.
TRlOT WRITES INTERESTINGLY
OF STATES PECULIARITIES.

The lack of accurate information
on the part OF great many north
crners concerning Florida. its eli
mate. topography, natural resources
and products is probably greater
than in regard to any other State Of
the Union.
Its climate is peculiar. The gem
era impression is that the farther
south one goes the higher is the
temperature, especially in the sum-
rer. Forty years and over Of wealth
er observations by the government
show that the mercury in South Flor
ida has not registered as high a de-
gree of heat rs in North or Wesa
Florida, nor as in every other State
of the Union.
There is, of course, reason Tor
this. Lying considerably to the
south of the other States, and bOr-
uercd by the waters Of the Gulf OF
Mexico and the Atlantic ocean
South Florida has a climate which Is
peculiarly its own, and which is not
comparable with that OF any other
State. The summer season Is long
and under the direct rays OF the al
r,Ost vertical MONDAY sun the heat
is strong, while in the shade it is
not oppressive or debilitating. The
air that is waited from the gulf or
the ocean daily over the narrow
peninsula is life giving rather than
tncrvating, especially II one Is To-
Gated on the high lands of the in
terror.
by reason of this peculiar situa-
ton, and its range OF nearly hvc
hundred miles north and south, Flor
ida, although tropical State in lat
itudc, Possesses Il wonderfully amia-
bic but diversified climate, adapted
TO Il great variety of products. from
LrarIy everything grown in our
northern States to the tender trees
and plants which thrive only in the
! tropics.
The atmosphere is Of remarkable
olrarncsS. There is SOME rain in the
, winter, but the principal prcripita-
: ,ion 5 during the summer months
Il I hc showers will come up quickly,
: the water Will fall plcntcOusly for II
sEor, time. the clouds will pass away
and The sun will shine brightly out
cf the clcarcst and blucst Of skies
If there is amy fault 10 be found
i with the climate il is because there
il too much sunshine. Fortunately
there are people who like less sun
shine, greater extremes OF heat ana
cold, and hence all portions ol the
earth are inhabited; but. it is no.
ticeable fact, civilization commenced
i'm the midcr climates of the earth
and under summer skies the world
always has been and always will bt
the most densely populated.
w. With it's temperature and variety
of soils there is, probably. greater
diversity of crops produced in Flor
ida than in any other State, and tn
cultivated acres produce a great dca
Il. more in value every year than do thu
re same number of acres in any othe
be State--the ratio for Florida bein'
nj about seven times as much as tha
nc of any other section of the Unite
Mt States.
ny In another respect the State i
be very peculiar Each section, Will
a il may and does grow a variety o
products, has some particular pro
duct for which it is noted. thoug
many of these same products may b
and are grown over a wide range @
IA, territory. A good deal seems to de
pend upon what particular produc
the settlers of specified locality be
n gan raising for the winter supple
bo of northern tourists and for tn
early-in-the season northern maj
in kets
40 For example. after the freeze
+h 1895. which killed all of its orang
in groves. Sanford, in Lake county, 0'
came the center of the celery indu:
try; Hastings. in st. Johns count.
e syecializes on growing Irish potatot
for the April and May markets in IN
tho northern cities; Lakeland. in Pol
ed county. more than any other loca
ate ity. is famous for its Strawberries
vns while other sections are noted fC