Florid

[Lat. florid us, from flos, a flower.] Covered with flowers; productive of flowers; as, a florid garden. - Bright in color; flushed with red; as, a florid countenance. - Embellished; ornate; splendid; brilliant with decorations. Flor'ida, in Indiana , a post-office of Madison co. -A township of Parke co. Flor'ida, in Ma achusetts, a post-township of Berk- shire co., abt. 115 m. W. by N. of Boston; pop . abt. 900, Florida, in Mi ouri , a post-village of Monroe co., on Salt kiver, abt. 13 m. E. of Paris. Flor'ida, in Ohio, a post-village of Henry co., abt. 10 m. E. by N. of Defiance. Flor'ida, in New York, a township of Montgomery co. -A post-village of Orange co., abt. 110 m. 3.S.W. of Albany. It is the birthplace of Wm. H. Seward. Florida, ("land of flowers,") the most S. State of the American Union, reaching nearly to the tropic of Cancer, and whose major portion forms an extensive peninsula between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, having an extent in length of abt. 385 m., by a breadth of, in the lower part of the State, abt. 50 m., expanding in the upper portion to abt. 250, and giving an average width of abt. 84 m. Coast-line is 1,146 m. F. lies between Lat. 250 and 31° N., and Lon. 80° and 87° 35' W.; having N. Alabama and Georgia, E. the Atlantic, S. the Strait of Florida, and W. the Gulf of Mexico and a small portion of Alabama. Area , 54,240 sq. m. of land, or 34,713,600 acres. Gen. Desc. The entire peninsula of F. is of diluvial origin, the Gulf Stream, which sets from the Gulf of Mexico round the S. and S.E. coasts, having in the course of ages worn away the land, and formed the low sandy islands generally known by the name of the Flor ida Keys, or "Martyrs," separated from the mainland by a navigable channel which, however, is both difficult and dangerous. There are a few good harbors, the best of which are those of Pensacola and Tampa on the W., and of St. Augustine and St. Mary's on the E. coast. F. is naturally divided into two different zones, about the 28th degree of Lat. The surface of the portion N. of this parallel is more elevated, broken, and wooded, than that on its S. side, which is generally level and marshy, and may be termed the true palm-tree section of the U. States. The centre rises into hills of no great elevation, which slope gradually towards the Gulf of ☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Fig . 1035.-SEAL OF THE STATE. Mexico and the Atlantic, and N.W. towards the body of the continent; but proceeding toward the S., the entire surface becomes a dead flat, and, in great part, indurated plain, terminating at the extreme point of the peninsula in heaps of sharp rocks, partially covered with shrubby pines. Rivers, Lakes , . The chief rivers of F. are the St. John's, A pal a chi cola, Escambia, Suwanee, Choctawatchee, St. Mark's, Perdido, and Conecuh. The first (falling into the Atlantic) partakes more of the character of an inlet or sound than of a river, from the number of lakes formed by its enlargements. Its chief affluent, the Ocklawaha, rises in the centre of the peninsula, and flows N.W. for abt. 80 m., when it unites with the St. John's proper (which has its source within a few miles of the ocean), and the embodied stream, after a tortuous course of 130 m., falls into the Atlantic, near the N.E. extremity of the State. It is a curious fact, that, though a fresh-water stream at its mouth, it is often rendered brackish toward its head from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico being driven by the winds into the lagoons and marshes among which it has its sources. Both branches of this river are navigable for some distance above their junction, and have an increasing trade The A pal a chi cola has its æstuary in that portion of the State W. of the Peninsula. It has a course of abt 100 m. N. to S., but does not po e a depth of water proportionate to its magnitude. This river is considered to form the boundary between E. and W. Florida. There are many lakes, the principal of which are those of Oke chobee, Apopka, Ki imee, in the middle of the peninsula and Lake George, an enlargement of St. John's River The S. part of F. is covered with a surface of swamp, called the Everglades , of immense extent, and covered with you sands of islands, varying in size from one fourth of an acre to hundreds in their area; these lakes (if lakes they can be called) have a depth of from 1 foot to 6 ft. Soil, Vegetation, de. The whole peninsula of F. appears to rest upon a base of shell-limestone of comparatively recent formation and different degrees of hardne . The soil on the banks is often very fertile; but the proportion of good and cultivable land is, notwithstanding, believed to be but small. In the N. part of the E., and in the W. of the State, there are many finely variegated and fertile tracts, and the country is often richly wooded. One of the most valuable is a tract of abt. 150 m. long by 30 broad in W. Florida, nearly in the centre of which is Tall a has see, the capital of the State. There are some very extensive swamps and savannas, particularly the swamp of Okefonoco, half in this State and half in Georgia; and there are also some very extensive marshes. The lands of F. have been distinguished as high hummock, low hummock, swamp, savanna, and pine land. High hummock is timbered with live and other oaks, magnolia, and laurel, and is the best land for general purposes. Low hummock, with the same kinds of timber, is liable to overflow; when properly drained, however, it is the best land for sugar-cane. Savannas are the river alluvions, usually very rich, but requiring drainage in all ordinary years. The soil, taken on the whole, may be said to be sandy, except in the hummocks. The best lands of the State are unavailable for want of drainage. A large area is very well suited to grazing and stock-raising. Veget. Prod., dic . The forest-trees of this State comprise the live-oak (especially adapted to ship-building), with other varieties of the quercine genus, swamp-cypre , IMG:content-0168.jpg:[merged small][graphic] IMG:content-0169.jpg:[graphic] Fig . 1036.- CASTOR-OIL BEAN, OR PALMA CHRIST I. (Ricinus communis.) the coast, satin-wood, mastic, lignum-vitæ, and boxwood flourish in the wildest luxuriance. F. is preeminently the land of fruits and flowers. Owing to its mediary climatic position, the fruits of both zones-temperate and torrid-find a luxuriant development here. The orange is largely and most succe fully cultivated; it and the lemon are produced to a degree of perfection surpa ing the qualities of its congeners in the S. of Europe; the lime, olive, citron, shaddock, loquat (or Japan plum), pineapple, papaw (or bread-fruit), custard-apple, guava, pomegranate, banana, date-palm, ., flourish and fructify, side by side, with the grape, nectarine, plum, peach, apple, melon, ., of colder latitudes. The cultivation of the cranberry, too, is spoken of as likely to be highly succe ful. Zool . The deer, wildcat, raccoon, opo um, squirrel, armadillo, ., and a variety of the serpent tribe, have their habitat in this State. Birds are nume. rous, and present a great variety. The rivers and creeks abound with fish, turtles, ., and at the same time many are infested with alligators. Climate. The climate of F. is one of elevated general temperature; it is, however, much softened by the breezes from the sea, by which the State, especially that portion toward the peninsula, is almost surrounded. The winters are so mild, that P. is a great resort for invalids, especially those affected with pulmonary symptoms. Indeed, as a winter resort, there is no climate in Southern Europe that can be compared to it, if there be any in the world. In winter, rains are seldom, frosts rare, and the condition of a genial, bright sky, and delicious breezes prevail. In S. Florida, the mercury seldom falls below 30° Fahr., and seldom rises above 94° in the shade. Malarial fevers prevail in some parts, and the seaport towns have occasionally, as in 1889, had severe epidemics of yellow fever. The summer heat is nowhere extreme, the range between mean summer and winter temperature being but 20°. The soil, though much of it a sterile sand, is aided in fertility by the abundant moisture, the rainfall being about 54 inches annually. Wide tracts are of unsurpa ed fertility. Min . F. is not rich in minerals, it having, however, some iron ore and coal, with peat, Lane stone, coral, ochre, amethyst, topaz, carnelian, . Coquina, a conglomerate of sea-shells, yields an excellent stone for building purposes. Mineral springs are numerous. Of its mineral products far the most import ant are extensive deposits of phosphate rock, discovered in 1888, and now actively mined as a fertilizing material.- Ind . The agricultural products of F. consist chiefly of maize, oats, tobacco, cotton, sugar-cane, . Of these maize far surpa es the other cereals in its production. The valuable sea-island cotton, elsewhere limited in its growth to a few islands, is here produced far inland, and forms an important item in the annual product. The annual yield averages about 60,000 bales. The raising of early vegetables and fruits, including strawberries, for the northern market, is a large and profitable industry. Large herds of cattle are raised, and dairy products are an item of some importance in the marketable produce of N. Florida. Among the industries of the State is a large busine in the production of pine lumber, and live oak timber for shipbuilding, while the preparation of naval stores, turpentine, tar, The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia Producing flowers. pitch, and rosin is actively pursued in the pine forests Floriferous, a. [Lat. flos, a flower, and ferre, to bear.] of the State. Valuable fisheries abound along the coast, including those for corals and sponges, and the inland waters are well stocked with fish. Oysters are abundant in many localities. Manufactures have not been greatly developed, the principal products being cigars, which are made in large numbers. Other products embrace salt, obtained by evaporation of sea water, cotton-seed oil and meal, fertilizers produced from phosphate rock, and textile goods from palmetto fibre. Political Divisions, & c . The State is divided into 45 counties, as follows: Flor if i cation, n. [Lat. flos , and facere, to make.] The act, time, or proce of flowering. Floriform, a. Fr. flor i for me.] Having the form of a flower. IMG:content-0171.png:[blocks in formation] Clay, Columbia, Hills borough, Liberty, Dade, Holmes, St. John's, Manatee, Marion, Santa Rosa, Sumter, Na au, Suwanee, Orange, Taylor, Osceola, Volusia, Pasco, Wakulla, IMG:content-0172.png:[blocks in formation] Madison, Putnam, Washington. The chief towns are Tall a has see (the capital), Jacksonville, Key West, Tampa, De Land, Pensacola, St, Augustine, Orlando, Gainesville, Fern and i no, Sanford, Palatka, and Ocala. F. , owing to its abundant facilities for water communication, has not had great need of railroad extension, but it po e ed, in 1896, 3,060 miles. Regular steamship communication exists with New York, Havana, and other ports. Govern ment. The new Constitution, ratified in 1886, makes some sweeping changes in the State government. The patronage of the governor, hitherto unusually large, is much reduced. The judges of the circuit court, and the State attorneys are still appointed by the governor. Supreme court judges are elected by popular vote. The homestead law remains the same, giving the widow, however, certain benefits not clear in the former constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court; the public schools are liberally provided for, and provision is also made for nece ary amendments by the people. Lands . The State owns large portions of the public lauds, which are held for sale at from 80 cents to $1.25 per acre; much of it, however, is swamp laud, of which a large section has been drained within the recent period, and a considerable area of highly fertile soil added to the agricultural lands of the State This drainage has been done by a canal, and the reclaiming of much larger areas in this manner is hoped for. History . Florida was discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon, on Easter Sunday (called in Spanish Pascua Florida ), 1513whence its name. The Spaniards failed in an attempt to colonize it in 1521; it was explored in 1539, and the French Calvinists sent an expedition thither in 1562. The new settlers were attacked and defeated by a Spanish force in 1565. It remained in Spanish po e ion until 1763, when it was ceded to the British, soon after which it was divided into E. and W. Florida. The Spaniards retook it in 1781, and they were guaranteed in the po e ion of the same by the peace of Versailles in 1783. By a treaty concluded between Spain and the U. S. in 1819, F. pa ed over to the American people, and became a part of the Union as a territory, under the general government. A constitution was adopted in 1833, and it was admitted into the Union as an independent State, March 3, 1845. When discovered, F. was inhabited by a number of wild tribes, included in two families, the Timucuas, who dwelt on the lower St. John's, and the Chahta-Muskokis, who po e ed the rest of the country. Subsequently, the latter were displaced by others of the same stock, known as Semi noles, (ist i semoli , wild men, or strangers). In 1835, a deadly war broke out between the settlers and this fierce and warlike tribe. This war, which suspended what progre had hitherto been effected, and cost the nation upward of $30,000,000, is known as the Seminole War. It continued until 1842, and was attended by many fierce engagements and much lo of life. Eventually the Semi noles surrendered, and were removed to a reservation in the Indian Territory, with the exception of some 360 who remained in the Everglades, where their descendants still reside. An act of sece ion from the U. S. was pa ed by a convention, January 10, 1861, and Fort Pickens, at Pensacola, held by Union troops, sustained a severe bombardment from the Confederate forces. Jacksonville was several times occupied and evacuated by the contending forces, but St. Augustine, taken by a Union force early in the war, was held until its end. The only engagement of importance within the State was at Olustee, near Ocean Pond, on February 20, 1864, in which the Union forces were defeated with considerable lo . F. was readmitted to the Union, July 4, 1868, having accepted the 14th amendment to the constitution. Florida Keys, or REEFS, in Florida , a chain of smali islands, keys or reefs, and sand-banks, extending S.W. from Cape Florida, abt. 220 m. They are very considerable in number, but only a few are of any importance. Among these may be mentioned Cayo Largo, Indian Key, Long Island, Old and New Matacombs, Cayo de Boca, and Thompson's Island or Key West, upon which the town of Key West is built.