206 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY—THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. 
the swamps of Florida are probably far more diversified than those 
of any other state or country the schemes of classification employed 
by northern and European writers have been of very little service 
in this connection. The present tentative classification is based on 
over a year’s work in Florida, and a still longer time spent in neigh¬ 
boring territory, but it is doubtless still far from perfect. It 
is altogether likely that many important peat deposits, and perhaps 
even whole types of peat deposits, have been overlooked, or very in¬ 
adequately treated. 
The language used in the following pages may not be quite 
scientific enough to suit some scientists, but they should bear in 
mind that this report is designed primarily for the use of the 
citizens of the State, the great majority of whom cannot be ex¬ 
pected to be familiar with scientific terms. On the other hand, the 
citizens should be reminded that the use of some technicalities is 
unavoidable, especially in the names of plants. For a great many 
plants have to be mentioned which are unknown to the average 
citizen, and it would not be possible to describe them so that he 
could recognize them, or to eliminate all the other technicalities, 
without increasing the bulk of the report many times. A technical 
term is in most cases nothing but a device for expressing a complex 
idea in a single word, or else a name for an idea which does not 
exist outside of a certain science, profession, or trade. Not only 
the scientist, but the engineer, the printer, the carpenter, the sailor, 
and even the farmer, all use many words which are meaningless to 
the uninitiated. 
In my travels over the State I have received valuable informa¬ 
tion and assistance from many of the best citizens, and at the same 
time have formed numerous friendships which I hope will be last¬ 
ing. I am under special obligations first to Dr. E. H. Sellards, State 
Geologist, for giving me my first opportunity to explore this most 
interesting state. Among those who have taken pains to assist 
me, or shown an intelligent interest in my work, the following 
deserve to be specially mentioned :— 
Prof P. H. Rolfs, Director of the State Experiment Station: 
Prof. A. W. Blair, Chemist of the same institution; Mr. Robert 
Ranson of St. Augustine, the pioneer peat man of Florida; Capt. 
R. E. Rose, State Chemist; Mr. A. M. Henry, one of his assistants, 
whose intimate knowledge of the geography of some parts of Mid¬ 
dle and East Florida has been useful to me; Dr. T. R. Baker, of 
Rollins College; Hon. H. W. Bishop, of Eustis; Dr. E. S. Crill, 
of Palatka; Dr. John Gifford, of Cocoanut Grove; Mr. T. L. 
Mead, of Lake Charm; Mr. Chas T. Simpson, of Little River; 
