The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-01-24
Cape Sable And The Lower
Peniasular Section Of Florida
(By r. PAGE WILSON, A NORTH FLoRmrAs.,

Monroe county is perhaps the lea,
developed, in some respects, Of an
county in Florida. Yet there ar
many reasons why 1t should be tn
very best. Briefly I shall try to stat
these reasons for the faith that Ia /
J me.
EQUABLE FLORIDA
~ Broadly speaking, Florida pos
sesses the finest climate In the Unite
States That is to say, its range Q
temperatures, diurnal and annual,
more eQuable, which means goo
health for human beings, goo'
growth for plants. Its rainfall i
fairly large, the chief precipitation oc
curing at time Of highest tempera
lures when the evaporation is largest
The whole State is swept by sea
breezes, which also spell comfort ant
good health.
THE FARTHEST SOUTH
(2) The further South one comes In
Florida, the more marked become the
above features. It is warmer In
winter, cooler in summer. and the
more constant is the invig0rating sea
breeze. A typical range Of tempara-
lures during a hot SPELL. e., a Pc
Rod Of dog days and killing nights In
the northern States-will show around
So degrees in Jacksonville, SO in Fort
Pierce or Tampa, which are about
half way down the coast, 80 in Miami
and SO in Key West. Conversely. dur
ing cold spell-perhaps blizzard
up north--Jacksonville will show, say
Is, Fort Pierce and Tampa 80, Miami
40 and Key West so.
(3) The above conditions are caused
partly by latitude, partly by the fact
that Florida possesses an insular Tor
more correctly stated peninsular) eli
mate, and sudden changes either up
or down are always greatly modified
by the proximity of large bodies OF
water, which give up and receive their
Inherent temperatures slowly. The
further south one travels in Florida
the narrower becomes the peninsula
and the nearer to the shore, too, flows
that great body Of perpetually warm
water, the Gulf Stream.
THE ECONOMIC VALUE
(4) Now it is scarcely necessary to
dwell upon the beauties of an equa-
able climate from the tourists or
point Of view although |
L cannot be disputed that climate
where sunstroke is unknown in sum
ner and where in winter practically
very day Is an outdoors day is an
asset Of which any State can be right
y proud. But it is to the economic
value Of such a climate to which
wish to call special attention. And 1t
D Monroe county which, owing to its
ocation at the extreme southern tip
4 Florida, possesses these advantages .
D the most marked degree.
(6) It means that every day is a
rowing day in Monroe county; that
he number OF crops which may be
AIKEN OF any given area of land in
ny given year is only limited by the
lumber of days required for actually
rowing each crop. It also means
lat crops can be grown when they
salize the most money; that is, at a
me OF year when no other part Of
% country can grow them, There Is
lite q difference between the 100 :
lys OF growing weather existing In ),
any parts OF the north and the 22e
lys average Of the southern states, !,
I'd the S65 days enjoyed by Monroe !.
unity. ! mean an important eco. :
mic difference worth untold dollars :
ID cents, to the hard-headed farmer. !.
RICH SOILS n
80 Climate is one thing, however, n
Il another. What can Monroe county Il
er in the matter of land? AS one n
10 has travelled over and studied 81
refully most sections of Florida, I u
a state that Monroe county pos
sses a larger proportion of really b,
sh-class land than any other county fe
the State. n in
THE WONDERFUL KEYS W
Monroe county soil may be di.
ed broadly into two predominating
les. distinct both in regard to ge. of
Apply and to character. First, re
re Is the land on the keys" which Ell
small islands amid a sunlit ocean M
ding the southern shores Of the bl
linsula of Florida. Some day all tw
Sc Keys will be snapped up by II
llthy men and developed into win lin
paradises. The land usually is w,
KY and covered by a hardwood Oh.
'mock growth, which makes 1t tn,