GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA TJ 



here described. But all of these points and many more are covered, 

 and some not only with reference to present conditions but also 

 historically, i.e., the changes that have taken place in several de- 

 cades are outlined. 



PLAN OF DESCRIPTION AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION 



The description of each region follows as nearly as possible the 

 outline given under General Features in the table of contents, but 

 that of the smaller regions is necessarily less complete, on account 

 of the lack of census statistics for areas smaller than counties. 



The information about geology and underground waters is taken 

 mostly from previous reports of this Survey, and that about soil 

 texture from government soil surveys, which as yet however cover 

 less than one-fourth of the area under consideration. The principal 

 soil series and texture classes in each region sufficiently covered 

 by soil surveys have been determined by picking them out from 

 the maps, 'but it is hardly worth while to calculate their percentages 

 until the work is more complete. Some of the chemical analyses of 

 soils are taken from 19th century publications, and some were made 

 for the Survey in 191 5, from samples collected by the writer, by 

 L. Heimburger, one of the assistant state chemists at that time. 



The climatic factors discussed are only a few of the simpler ones, 

 some taken direct and some computed, from publications of the 

 U. S. Weather Bureau, chiefly Bulletins O and W. 



The descriptions of vegetation are almost wholly from the 

 writer's own observations, on about 100 different days, mostly in 

 the months of February, March, April and July, and in the years 

 1908-1910, 1 9 14, 1915 and 1920. The importance of vegetation 

 as an indicator of soil conditions is probably more generally recog- 

 nized in Florida than in any other part of the United States ; but in 

 order to make satisfactory correlations between vegetation and soils 

 it is necessary not merely to pick out certain species of plants sup- 

 posed to be characteristic of certain soils, but to study the vegeta- 

 tion quantitatively, as the census does population and agriculture. 

 The approximate relative abundance of the different species has 

 been determined by consolidating or digesting the field notes taken 

 in every county and region, on practically every mile of travel, 

 whether bv train, boat, automobile or on foot. 



