GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA 21/ 



hundred miles farther north. The sweet gum, short-leaf pine and 

 hickory are characteristic species. This is best seen in flat-bot- 

 tomed valleys with dark loamy soil around Brooksville, and on up- 

 lands northwest of Ocala, for example around Fairfield. 



Such forests indicate pretty good soil for general farming, 

 through the scarcity of running water might be a slight drawback. 



Red oak woods (fig. 41). On dry uplands with somewhat 

 clayey soil rich in potassium, phosphorus and iron, in central Marion 

 County, the red oak is the prevailing tree, as it is in some places 

 much farther north. Here it is commonly associated with sweet 

 gum, hickory, and long-leaf pine. At one extreme this grades into 

 high pine land, and at the other into high hammocks, which have 

 neither red oak nor pine. Fire goes into the red oak woods just 

 about as far as the pine does. Further details can be found in the 

 7th Annual Report, pp. 168-169. 



This type of vegetation indicates a strong soil, on which staple 

 crops can be raised for several years without fertilizer. 



