F L O li I D A 339 to discharge themselves into Orange Lake. In fact, the geological structure of the State is remarkable, much of its surface seeming a crust through the openings of which underground lakes and rivers force their way. Tuwns and Harbours. Notwithstanding the great extent of its sea-coast, Florida has few good harbours. Besides being a naval station, Key West is a place of considerable importance. Peusacola, Appalachicola, St Mark s, Cedar Keys, Tampa, and Charlotte on the Gulf, and Fernandina and St Augustine on the Atlantic coast, are the principal ports. Of these the harbours of Pensacola and Fernandina are the best. The cities of Florida are Jacksonville, popula tion in 1870, 6912; Pensacola, 3347; Tallahassee, the capital, 2023; and St Augustine, 1717. Jacksonville, on St John s River, is a flourishing city, much resorted to by invalids from the northern States on account of the salu brity of its climate. Fernandina, the eastern terminus of the railway which crosses the State to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf of Mexico, has 1722 inhabitants. Climate. Florida, except in the vicinity of the swamps, possesses one of the most equable and agreeable climates of the continent. Occupying as it does a situation between the temperate and tropical regions, it enjoys exemption from the frosts and sudden changes of the one and the excessive heat of the other. The mercury, however, some times falls to the freezing point, and great damage is done to the orange plantations. The winter climate of the Gulf coast is more rigorous than that of the Atlantic. The seasons partake of the tropical character, winter being dis tinguishable by copious rains. Statistics show the State to be one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest, of the United States, and its resident population is largely increased in the winter months by invalids from the north, seeking a more genial clime, Jacksonville, St Augustine, and Key West are preferred by this class of visitors, who are every year becoming more numerous. The mean winter tem perature as observed at Key West was slightly less than that of Havana; while for the months from July to November it was about the same. Besides the advantage of its climate, the semi-tropical character of Florida offers a grateful and striking change of scene to the health-seeker, who leaves the bare forests and frozen streams of New England for a country teeming with luxuriant vegetation and strewed with flowers. Products. The productions of Florida are of an essen tially tropical character : cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar-cane, arrow-root, hemp, flax, coffee, and the cocoa-nut flourish there. The climate is also favourable to the cultivation of the silk-worm and for the cochineal insect. Oranges, bananas, lemons, limes, olives, grapes, pine-apples, grow abundantly, and are of exquisite flavour. Indian corn, sweet potatoes, beans, pease, and such products of a more northern climate as Irish potatoes, barley, buckwheat, hops, &c., are also raised. The cultivation and export of oranges and other fruits have grown to be a considerable source of wealth to the State ; and the manufacture of cigars, especially at Key West, is becoming an important industry. The pasturage afforded by the savannas is excellent, cattle requiring little or no attention from their owners, and no housing in winter. Game and fish abound in overy part of the state. Deer, wild turkeys, partridges, geese, ducks, and other small game are in all the forests and about all the lakes, rivers, and swamps ; green turtle, oysters, sheep s-head, red-fish, mullet, &c., are found on all the coasts, and freshwater fish in all the inland waters. Magnificent sponges are gathered along the reefs, and form a considerable item of trade. Cotton, rice, sugar, tobacco, lumber, fish, and fruits may be considered the most valuable products. From selected statistic, compiled by tho United States Government, it appears that Florida pro duced in 1870 Indian corn, 2,225,056 bushels; oats, 114,204 bushels; cotton, 39,789 bales; wool, 37,562 ft>; rice, 401,687 lb ; cane, 553,192 gall 3. ; Irish pota toes, 10,218 bushels; sweet potatoes, 789,456 bushels; pease and beans, 64,846 bushels; honey, 150,854 Bi. Florida cotton is grown almost exclusively in the northern group of counties, but the State is capable of producing tho celebrated Sea Island variety, the cultivation of which was formerly confined to a few islands on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, Appalachicola, formerly a consider able shipping port for cotton, has been superseded by Fernandina on the Atlantic, The crop of 1876-77 is reported at 34,303 bales, of which 11,214 was Sea Island; but it should be stated that this computation includes only shipments from Florida outports, there being no data whence to estimate accurately the quantity going to ports out of the State by rail. The same remark will apply to the quantity of wool exported. The wool grown in Florida is long-stapled, of medium and coarse grades, little attention being as yet given to producing fine wools, In 1S78 the flocks had increased to 56,500 head, yielding 200,000 ft) of wool. In 1874 Gadsden county produced on 327 acres planted 216,000 lb of tobacco, of excellent quality, valued at $44,000. East and South Florida rely mainly upon fruit culture. Florida is said to be the only section of the Union where the orange can be grown to any extent with success. There is no fear of winter-killing south of Pilatka. The quality of the fruit and the excellent condition in which it reaches the northern markets render this a most profitable crop. The forests of Florida form no inconsiderable source of wealth. The live-oak, so valuable in shipbuilding, abounds, also the other varieties of oak, swamp cypress, hickory, pine, magnolia, dogwood, and laurel. The palma christi (castor-oil bean) becomes here a large tree ; on the islands and keys boxwood, satinwood, mastic, and Iignum-vita3 grow abundantly. The pine is found from Cape Sable to near Indian river. In addition to fruit-bearing species, the pimento, coffee, pepper, clove, and other spice trees and shrubs may be successfully cultivated. From the official sources of information it appears that in 1870 the value of the live stock on farms was $5, 2 12, 157. The number of horses was 11,902; mules and asses, 8,835; milch cows, 61,932 ; draught and other cattle, 322,701 ; sheep, 26,509 ; swine, 158,908. Florida also produced 100,989 lb butter. These numbers will be largely in creased by the census of 1880. Manufactures. These are unimportant, and are chiefly confined to flour and grist mills, lumber mills, and establish ments for the manufacture of sugar and molasses, their total value in 1870 being $4,685,403. Agriculture and com merce are the chief resources of the State, the export of its fibrous products, cereals, fruits, fish, live-oak and other timber, giving employment to a considerable tonnage. Among the mineral productions may be named amethyst, turquoise, lapis-lazuli, ochre, coal, and iron-ore. Trade. The coasting trade employs many steamers and sailing craft, plying chiefly between Florida ports and Savannah, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Pen sacola and Appalachicola are naturally points of shipment for southern Alabama and south-western Georgia. The bulk of foreign merchandise reaches the State from northern ports instead of by direct importation. Key West shows much the largest tonnage of vessels entering or clearing, St John s and Fernandiua following in the order pained. Shipbuilding is carried on at all the ports, the vessels usually being of small burthen, for coast traffic. Railways. In 1876 there were only 484 miles of railway in Florida. The Jacksonville, Pensacola, and
