The Lakeland evening telegram., 1920-01-12
Facts about Florida

More than 100000 tourists visit
Florida every year.
Flo. ,da's rank in the Union is 33rd
in population.
The manufactured products of Flor
ida aggregate 100000 per annum
The manatee, or sea cow, weighing
up to a thousand pounds and turtles
up to 200 pounds, are still found in
Florida waters.
Lee county is the largest one in
Florida, with 4,641 square miles. It
is 1923 square miles larger than both
Rhode Island and Delaware and near
ly as large as Connecticut.
There are 16O nurseries in Florida
with home grown trees.
Ninety per cent Of the original
forests of Florida are still wooded,
though many acres are being thinned
annually.
There are more than 5000 different
species of trees, shrubs. herbs ETC.,
in Florida.
Florida leads all other states in the
production Of fuller's earth and ball
clay.
Florida reported 5O,O16 farms in
1910. Sh ecould have ten times as
many.
Florida ranks first in the union in
the production Of turpentine.
There are some 500 saw mills in
Florida, turning out yearly 1,25O,OOO,-
900 feet of lumber not counting cross
ties, poles, staves, veneers, tanbark
etc.
Andrew Jackson was the first gov
ernor of Florida.
Florida clay makes good brick.
Severe wind storms are practically
in Florida. Hurricanes or
iginating in the Southern seas swing
around the west end Of Cuba and
crossing the gulf usually strike the
coast about the mouth of the Missis-
sippi.
Florida has climate allowing the
growth of crops in every month.
Florida has as large and fine sea
beaches as any in the world. National
automobile races are frequently held
here in the winter.
Florida produces the finest of pine
apples and has shipped as high Jas a
million crates in a year. The largest
are along the East cbast,
In sand so pure and white that a
handkerchief can be passed over it
without discoloring IL. / n
Florida sand is productive. Why?
Because mixed with 1T are particles
OF mineral matter, carbonate Of aime
from shells, combined with deeom-
posed vegetation.
Florida can be made to produce
enough sugar to supply most Of the
needs Of America. Sugar cane grows
II. every county. Drained swamp land
will yield 20 tons of cane to the acre
the potential equivalent Of 5000
pounds of granulated sugar, besides
residue Of value.
Fuel and clothing blls are much
less in Florida than i'm the colder
north.
Florida contains four expc. imeni
stations. established by ehe United
States government, to test for use
in the warmer sections Of the Union,
the many kinds Of useful products. not
native, but brough! from other con-
tinouts.
Florida will produce all OF the
American varieties of fiber plants.
including sisal hemp, !or which the
Union annually pays Yucatan mil
lions Of dollars.
There are thirteen cities in Florida,
each with more than 5000 people.
There are 2,916 common nublic
schools and 1914 high schools in Flor
ida.
There are 70 ice factories In Flor
ida. We have no ice unless we make
it. The discoverer of artificial Ice
was a Florida man.
Florida has spent more per capita
in recent years for road improvement
than any other state.
Florida has 415S mikes of graded
earth roads; 664 miles of asphalt.
4S3 miles of brick; 35 miles of con-
crete; 1858 miles of rock oil treated.
F3S miles of she'll, and 1914 miles of
sand-clay, grand total of 1924 miles
and more being built.
Eighty-fve per cent of the white
farmers in Florida operate their own
farms.
Seventy per cent Of the farmers Of