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Soils

Suniland Magazine

1925

Research in the field of agriculture is one of the greatest present needs of Florida. Owing to lack of funds, comparatively few soil surveys have been undertaken, and even the geography of the major portion of the state is known only in a general way.

Florida's soils can be divided into five general classifications, namely, high pine lands, flatwoods pine lands, high hammock lands, low hammock lands, and muck lands.

Each of these classifications has its own particular advantages. On the high pine lands are grown some of the very best citrus fruits; on the low, some of the finest truck; while the hammock lands, both high and low, will grow almost anything, the high hammocks being generally regarded as the best lands in the state.

There is still a large area of virgin high hammock lands in Florida, especially in Allachua Levy, Marion, and Hernando Counties: the great Annutilaga Hammock of Hernando, 40,000 acres of deciduous forest in one great body, being the largest single body of high hammock land in Florida.

The muck lands of Florida are also exceedingly rich, but most of them will require a certain amount of sweetening before they can be made available to the purposes of agriculture. The Everglades are said to constitute the largest single body of muck lands in the world. The, care over four million acres of these lands altogether, and when drained they will be able to produce foodstuffs of every character on a colossal scale. Even now Everglade products are bringing millions of dollars to the state, but their ultimate potentialities will be realized only through the consummation of effective drainage.

Florida's soils can produce any of the staples common to Southern agriculture, including cotton, both short staple and Sea Island, tobacco, corn, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, oats, peanuts, cowpeas, velvet beans, and an infinite variety of legumes.

Source:
Excerpt From: Agassiz, Garnault. "Florida in Tomorrow's Sun."
Suniland, Nov. 1925, Vol.3, No.2., Pgs. 37-45; 88-94; 113-133

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