Florida—its Climate, Soil, Products, & etc. [pp. 244-250]

CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS.
mate), at Sarrosota (lat. 27~ 20'), the thermometer was down to 30~.
The Atlantic coast has also a much milder winter climate than the
Gulf coast, as is evident from the following table, which shows the
mean annual range of temperature at the permanent military stations
in East Florida:
Max. Min. Range.
St. Augustine, Atlantic, lat. 29~ 50'................ 92~ 39~ 53~
Fort King (interior), lat. 29~ 12'................... 105 27 78
Tampa, Cult; lat. 27~ 48'........................ 92 35 57
It appears, then, that the winter climate of the coast on the Gulf
is more severe than that of the Atlantic coast, and that of the inte rior is more severe than either. The eastern coast is warmer in
winter than the interior, in consequence, no doubt, of the Gulf stream
passing northward through the straits of Florida. But whatever the
cause, it is certain that the cold of the interior is much more severe
than on the coast, and that the winter weather is colder on the west ern than on the eastern side of the peninsula. Scarcely a year passes
at Tampa Bay without ice, and the bodies of the orange trees are all
seared from the effects of the cold winds. I trust it has been made
apparent that tropical fruits and staples will not flourish above lat.
27~, notwithstanding the stories of Mr. Carver, and the reports floating
up and down in the writings of travelers and speculators; and Wil liams makes the parallel of 27~ the limit for tropical productions.
It is only belowv the 27th degree of latitude (constituting South
Florida " tropical" is a misnomer designed to mislead, for no part of
the territory is within the tropics), if at all, that the tropical fruits can
be raised in any degree of perfection. But a small part of South
Florida is entirely exempt from frosts, except it be the southernmost
islands and points, which are with very little exception, both dry and
barren. The guava, plantain, banana, lemon, lime, citron, date, mangoc, cocoa, &c., can be raised in South Florida, and perhaps the
pine-apple and some other West India fruits. But nearly the whole
of South Florida is occupied by the everglades. " South of latitude
28S~," says a recent writer, " Florida consists of a vast morass, called
the everglades." "That part of the Peninsula of East Florida,'
says Williams," that "lies south of the 2Sth degree of latitude, declines toward the centre in form of a dish, the border of which is
raised toward the coast. This vast basin is filled with marshes, wet
savannas, intersected by extensive lakes and lagoons, forming a labyrinth, which, taken together, is called the everglades." Behind Cape
Florida it approaches within twelve miles of the coast, it then passes
round to near Cape Sable, and up the western coast. All this country
(not including the eastern coast of the peninsula), containing the district allotted to the Indians, has been officially pronounced by Gen.
Worth as of no value; and the only part of the narrow belt of land
surrounding the everglades, which is of the least consequence, is that
on the eastern coast. On the narrow strip surrounding the everglades,
allowing for the present that the southern and western portions of it
are of some value, must be raised all the tropical productions of
Florida. It can be seen by a grlance at the map that the quantity of
cultivatable land below the limit of black frost is small indeed(l. It is
said that the everglades can be drained. It matters not; for if they
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