ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CITRUS-FRUIT GROWING IN FLORIDA Fe 
TOPOGRAPHY 
Polk County is flat to rolling. It has the highest point in the 
State at Iron Mountain, near Lake Wales. This mountain, so 
called, rises 326 feet above sea level and is a part of the ridge section 
known as the “‘Scenic Highlands.” The ridge extends through the 
entire eastern part of the county and in recent years has been in- 
tensively developed for citrus growing. Rolling country and many 
beautiful lakes are characteristic of the Scenic Highlands. (Fig. 2.) 
Fic. 2—Grove development has centered around the lake region of the county where higher lands ad- 
join. The lakes afford considerable protection to the groves in extreme changes of temperature 
DRAINAGE 
Peace River and its tributaries through the central part of the 
county drain it to the south. This drainage basin forms the center 
of a territory, question mark in shape, the rim of which corresponds 
roughly to the citrus district in Polk County, except that it does 
not include the strip of citrus land extending north and south through 
and approximately 8 miles on either side of the city of Lakeland. 
The Lakeland section is divided from the rest of the citrus district 
in the State by another drainage basin formed by Lakes Hancock 
and Adriana and the various creeks pouring into them. (Fig. 1.) 
SOILS 
Most of the groves in Polk County were planted on rolling upland 
pine lands. Technically, this soil is known as Norfolk sand and is 
generally considered best for citrus growing as air and water drain- 
age 1s usually good and sandy soil underlain with clay subsoil re- 
sponds well to treatment. Good groves occur on the high and low 
hammock lands where proper drainage has been secured. 
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