TKANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 721 



between Georgia and Florida. The latter rises within ten miles of the Ocean into 

 which, after a N.W. course of 300 miles, it flows. Into the Gulf of Mexico flow 

 the Caloosahatchee, draining Lake Okeechobee ; the Peace River, which rises in 

 the highlands west of Lake Kissimmee, and flows S.W. ; the Withlacoochee, rising 

 in the same highlands, and flowing N.W. ; the Suwannee rising in the Okefenokee 

 swamp of Georgia ; and the Apalachicola. 



Of lakes and ' springs ' there are about 1,500. Some are mere expansions of a. 

 river's coTirse, but the majority occur in the high rolling district which runs N. 

 and S. through the peninsula. Okeechobee (1,000 square miles) is the largest. 

 The water is quite clear. The springs are sulphurous, and occur everywhere. 

 Silver Spring, 200 yards in diameter and 30 yards deep, is the largest. 



Climate. — The water surface of Florida is 4,440 square miles. The isotherms run 

 from W. to E. in an E.N.E. — N.E. direction. The isotherm of 75° mean annual 

 runs fromTampaBayto Cape Canaveral, and represents that of the important section 

 of central or semi-tropical Florida. The average mean of Jacksonville, the in- 

 dustrial capital, and the northern limit of the orange belt, for twenty years has 

 been for January 55° and for August 82°. At Key West, sub-tropical Florida, 

 the mean for January is 71-04°, and for August 84-33°, The annual mean 

 humidity is 68-8. Rainfall during the five winter months at Jacksonville = 16-62 ; 

 at Key West 9-10. The annual rainfall at Jacksonville is 54 inches. The pre- 

 vailing winds are from the S.E., blowing from the tropics over the heated Gulf 

 Stream and N.E., also over the stream. This makes the E. coast milder than the 

 W. The W. coast also occasionally suflers from a cold ' snap,' which has descended 

 the Mississippi Valley. 



Geology and Soil. — As far as has yet been ascertained, the oldest strata are, 

 if not coeval, at least similar or equivalent to the Tertiaries of the Thames Valley, 

 or those of the Paris Basin. But all the divisions of the Tertiaries are represented. 

 The Eocene is present in great depth ; the Miocene and Pliocene are less thick ; 

 Pleistocene beds are very thick. Fossil remains have been found, not only of the 

 mastodon, but of hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tiger, hyena, lion, elephant, and llama. 

 An anticlinal, with an axis parallel to the peninsula, runs through central and 

 northern Florida. True coral rock is found continuously in the south and in many 

 districts further north. Under this are dense beds of limestone, consisting of shells 

 of marine organisms. C/. reef-limestones of Cuba. The soil is divided into— (1) 

 hummocks; (2) 'pine ' or sand lands. Hummock land is low-lying clayey soil, in 

 which much potash and phosphorus (from decaying vegetation) are found. The 

 sand lands contain 50 per cent, soluble matter — are a mixture of sand and clay — 

 of very various mineral character, but uniformly light to work. 



Vegetation. — Florida may be divided into three zones according to vegetation. 

 (1) The northern or continental portion. (2) The central or semi-tropical portion, 

 whose southern limit extends from the Caloosahatchee ouW,coast(26°35'N.L.) to 

 the Lidiau River inlet (27°30'N.L.). Iso-floral lines may be drawn from W. to E. 

 across the peninsula in a direction varying from N.E. to N.N.E. The three divi- 

 sions might be called southern, semi-tropical, and sub-tropical. Of the 200 species 

 of forest trees about 38 per cent, are tropical, and similar to those of West Indies. 

 Many of these trees grow luxuriantly on the Keys and extreme south, but dwindle 

 and become mere bushes at the northern limit of the belt — 26° 35' N.L. to 27° 30' 

 N.L. from W. to E. The following fruits are cultivated with great success : — (I) 

 in north : pear, peach, grape, and orange (risky) ; (2) in central or semi-tropical 

 belt : orange, lemon, lime, pine-apple, persimmon ; (3) in sub-tropical belt : lime, 

 pine-apple, banana, cocoanut. A large number of tropical fruits are being tried. 

 Sugar and rice are grown extensively in lowlands north of Okeechobee. 



Industries. — Fruit growing, vegetable raising, and lumbering are main indus- 

 tries. Recently extensive phosphate beds have been discovered in river valleys, 

 and great outputs been registered. Kaolin of superior quality has been discovered 

 S. of Lake Harris and elsewhere. Cotton and tobacco are largely grown in N. 

 Oyster and sponge fisheries employ thousands of hands. The ranches of Lee 

 County are famous for their large herds, and infamous for quality of same. 



Inhabitants. — The aboriginals were Miccosukies. These have disappeared, the 

 1891. 3 A 



