AND AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES. 65 



South of latitude 27, to the southern limit of the State, there is plenty of the South- 

 ern pitch pine, which is equally good for turpentine, and furnishes very good build- 

 ing material. There is also a belt of it, perhaps ten miles in width, bordering the en- 

 tire coast. There are live other kinds of pine in the State, of less value and in small 

 quantity. 



Next to the yellow pine in abundance and value rank the bald cypress and live oak. 

 Both are found throughout the State in abundance and of large size. The qualities of 

 live oak are well known, better than those of the cypress, a timber only second in value 

 to yellow pine, and for durability and lightness superior to it. Several mills are now 

 sawing cypress, and the manufacture of it must increase. 



The red cedar of Florida is celebrated as being the only wood suitable for pencils. 

 The demand for it is so great that the supply will probably be exhausted before many 

 years. 



Throughout the pine woods, north of latitude 27, are scattered much post and black- 

 jack oak, which furnish superior fuel. The other kinds of trees occur in groves or 

 hammocks and border water -courses. 



Along the southern half of the Saint John's and Indian Rivers the palmetto is the most 

 abundant tree, but, as a rule, the hammocks are composed in most part of the live 

 oak and the water or willow oak, with much red bay, magnolia, and hickory. Besides 

 these, there is a great variety of smaller trees, with handsome evergreen foliage and 

 wood suitable for various purposes. In some hammocks the sour and bitter-sweet 

 oranges abound. 



The trees most noted for beauty of wood are the " curly" variety of the yellow pine, 

 the red or sweet bay (sometimes called Florida mahogany), the magnolia, black cherry, 

 holly, &c. 



Iii Jackson and Gadsden Counties are found the black walnut, sour wood, bass 

 wood, beech, birch, sugar maple, cottonwood, sycamore, and many other Northern trees. 

 This section is not suited to the growth of the orange. 



Trees common in low hammocks and swamps are the white bay, tan bay, elm, ash, 

 hickory, red maple, sweet gum, sour gum, poplar, hackberry, iron-wood, &c. 



The number of species of the most important genera are as follows : Oak, 13 ; pine 

 7; hickory, 5; elm, ash, maple, magnolia, and gum, 3 each. 



South of the Caloosahatchie River, and on the east and west coasts, as far north as 

 Mosquito Inlet and Cedar Keys, tlie trees are nearly all of subtropical species, among 

 which are some of great beauty and value, such as the mahogany, lignum vita?, prince- 

 wood, mastic, wild tamarind, calabash, royal palm, Indian fig, crab-wood, &c. But 

 these are found in too limited quantity to be of any practical importance. 



In addition to these are the Madeira, frankincense, white-wood, cork- 

 wood, sea grape, green ebony, wild cherry, buttonwood, black and rock 

 mangrove, and numerous others. 



A variety of the caoutchouc grows in South Florida, which furnishes 

 a gum possessing the qualities of the India rubber of commerce. 



It is believed that the cinchona, which furnishes that valuable article 

 quinine, could be successfully cultivated. Other trees and plants of 

 great merit and utility can doubtless also be introduced. 



An experimental garden,, under the auspices of the Department of 

 Agriculture, would be attended with signal benefit to the interests of 

 the country. 



LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND THE EVERGKLADES. 



But little is known of the vast region covered by Lake Okeechobee 

 and the everglades. Much of that immense area is unexplored and un- 

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