40 FLORIDA: ITS CLIMATE, SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, 



the county, enters Tampa Bay. The surface is generally level, lands 

 light, piuey woods, hammocks, and prairie. Pine Level is the county 

 seat. 



Along the rivers and borders of lakes the land is very productive; a 

 large portion of the country is given up to stock-raising, which is a lead- 

 ing and profitable business. Over 100,000 head subsist at no cost or 

 care, except* the gathering to brand and mark, or for sale and delivery. 

 Key West, Cuba, and other is lands afford a constant and good market, 

 and steamers and vessels are regularly engaged in the transportation, 

 mostly from Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. There are many stock- 

 men who count their herds by the tens of thousands. Peace Creek, a 

 large stream, is susceptible of steam navigation through the county, 

 and is attracting immigrants, especially those who seek an equable 

 climate, and to locate below what is called the frost-line. Long-staple 

 cotton, cane, rice, tobacco, do well, and will become leading staples of 

 export. 



MONROE COUNTY. 



Bounded north by Manatee, east by Bade, south and west by the Gulf 

 of Mexico. It has an area of about 5,000 square miles, a large portion 

 of which is occupied by what is known as the Big Cypress Swamp and 

 the Everglades. The county includes the numerous keys and islands 

 off the Florida southern coast, the most important of which is Key 

 West, where the principal wealth and population are located, and the 

 southern portion of Charlotte Harbor, Pine, Sauibel, and other islands. 

 The Caloosahatchie traverses the northern portion of the county and 

 enters Charlotte Harbor, and is navigable as high up as Fort Thomp- 

 son, some 30 miles from its mouth. It is contemplated to connect this 

 river with the great lake Okeechobee and drain the extensive country 

 about the lake. The northern portion of the county is^adapted to semi- 

 tropical and tropical fruits, and also many of the keys, which are already 

 famous for cocoauuts, pineapples, and bananas. ^Key West is the 

 county seat. 



POLK COUNTY. 



Bounded north by Suinter and Orange Counties, east by Orange and 

 Brevard, south by Manatee, and west by Hillsborough. The Kissiinniee 

 Lake and Eiver separates it from Brevard. It has an area of about 

 1,900 square miles, and its general characteristics are the same as Sum- 

 ter and Manatee. The surface is undulating, the lands hammock, pine, 

 and prairie, dotted all through with small lakes of clear water abound- 

 ing in fish. The prairies are the range for herds of cattle, of which there 

 are 100,000 head in the county. Bartow, situated on Peace Creek or 

 Kiver, is the county seat, ^and a thriving business place. The lauds 

 within 2 or 3 miles of Peace Creek and its tributaries are excellent fann- 

 ing lands and well adapted to the culture of the orange and semi-tropi- 

 cal and some tropical fruits. 



