GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA 149

 Something like 96% of the vegetation is evergreen. A considerable number of the species are mainly tropical in distribution, and not found north of Florida. Comparatively little use is made of the native, plants. There is some lumbering and turpentining, but that belongs more to the neighboring flatwoods, i. e., what few sawmills and turpentine stills there are along the railroad get part of most of their raw material from the flatwoods. More honey in proportion to area is produced here than in other parts of central Florida, but it may come from orange blossoms as much as from native plants.
 Climate. This is the warmest part of central Florida, at least in winter, on account of the proximity of the Gulf Stream. Often a whole winter passes without frost, in the southern portions at least. As compared with other regions described herein, the total rainfall seems to be a trifle less, but the proportion of it that coihes in late summer is a little greater.
 Animals. Fishing is an important industry in the Indian River and other lagoons, but no statistics of it have come to the writer's notice. Titusville seems to be the principal center. Mosquitoes seem to be more abundant here than in the other regions, and on Merritt's Island they are in evidence practically every month in the. year, on account of the rarity of frost. But they are more annoying than dangerous, for those of the malaria-bearing species seem to be rare or absent, being more characteristic of regions with fertile soil.*
 Population. There have been some white settlements on the east coast ever since the early Spanish days; and the bringing of a colony of Greeks and Minorcans to New Smyrna by Dr. Andrew Turnbull shortly before the American Revolution is a well-known episode of Florida history. But the population remained sparse until the coming of the railroad in the 'So's. There is no way of estimating the density of population accurately, but if we assume that half of the inhabitants of Volusia County and all those of Brevard are concentrated in the coast strip we will not be very far off. That would give about 13 per square mile in 1890, 16 in 1900, 26 in 1910, and 40 in 1920. These figures are considerably above the average for central Florida and the whole State, showing that not*See 6th Annual Report, page 288, last footnote.