GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA 12/ 



parts of central Florida in the matter of local or endemic species, 

 and contrasting especially with the hammock belts in this respect. 



The pines are used for fuel, lumber, turpentine, etc., as in other 

 regions, but have not been exploited quite so ruthlessly, whether 

 wholly because of topographic difficulties or partly from a slight 

 regard for the beauty of the scenery is not quite certain. Plans are 

 just being perfected for utilizing the saw-grass, which abounds on 

 thousands of acres of marshes, for the manufacture of paper. As in 

 many other parts of Florida that are comparatively little cultivated, 

 honey-yielding plants are numerous and abundant, but that fact 

 does not seem to have been taken advantage of as fully as it might 

 be. 



Population. The statistics of population are based on the re- 

 turns for Lake County, which is wholly in this region, and Semi- 

 nole and Orange, most of whose population is in it. No accurate 

 estimates can be made for periods previous to 1887, when there 

 were great changes in county boundaries, but in 1890 there were 

 9 inhabitants per square mile in the area just defined. This in- 

 creased, somewhat irregularly, to 19.4 in 1920. In 1910 the pop- 

 ulation was divided according to race and nativity into 57.5% na- 

 tive white, 3.3% foreign white, and 39.2% negro. The foreign- 

 ers were mostly from England, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Scot- 

 land and Ireland. The percentage of illiteracy at the same time was 

 1.9 among the native whites, 1.7 among the foreign whites, and 

 23.0 among the negroes. 



The incorporated cities and towns in 191 5 were Lakeland, with 

 7,287 inhabitants (reported as having decreased a little by 1920, 

 which is hard to believe); Orlando, with 6,448; Sanford, 4,998; 

 DeLand, 3,490; Leesburg, 1,360; Winter Haven, 1,226; Eustis, 

 1,148; Winter Park, 787; Lake Helen, 786; Winter Garden, 648; 

 Mt. Dora, 615; Apopka, 598; Umatilla, 527; Auburndale, 511; 

 Orange City, 506; Tavares, 449, and Haines City, 378. 



The leading religious denominations among the whites in 1916 

 were Southern Methodist, Baptist, Southern Presbyterian, Episco- 

 palian, Roman Catholic, Northern Methodist, Congregationalist, 

 Northern Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, Disciples of Christ, 

 and Primitive Baptist. Among the negroes. Baptist, African Meth- 

 odist Episcopal, A. M. E. Zion, and northern Methodist. 



