NATURAL DIVISIONS.


are the subterranean streams which undermine the rotten-
limestone formation, creating numerous cavities in. the
ground that are locally known as "sinks." These are in-
verted conical hollows, or tunnels, varying in extent from a
few yards to several acres, at the bottom of which running
water often appears.
 The foregoihg is a rapid summary of the geographical
or cyclopedic descriptions that are usually given of Flor-
ida, and it is as accurate, perhaps, as such sweeping gen-
eralizations can be expected to be; yet when taken too lit-
erally these descriptions are not only inadequate, but mis-
leading. For the truth is, that there are tre -
Florida-three Floridas, so to speak-each distinct in soil,
c mate, and productions; and it is because of this that the
people of other sections, as they read abodt the State in
short newspaper sketches, or in pamphlets published in the
interests of some special locality, are apt to draw erroneous


inferences.


For instance, the winter of 1880-'81 was ex-


ceptionally severe everywhere, making itself felt even in
Florida; and the Northern and foreign reader, learning
that fruits were destroyed, garden-crops hopelessly ruined,
oranges frozen on the trees by thousands, in fact that cold
and frost played havoc in Florida as well as elsewhere,
doubtless came to the conclusion that it was not much of a
tropical State after all. Well, these things happened, just


as reported. The
done, and much loss
tion thus visited inc
-only the northern
large portion of tb
kLfos.that kill.
they were not the
tricts to which they


frost came, and immense damage was
s inflicted. Yet the fact is that the sec-
luded but a small portion of the State
i and a portion of middle Florida. A
Le Statejw a6 -u neer is-- *ed
 So that, while the reports were true,
whole truth, and there were many dis-
did not apply at all.


 The three natural divisions under which Florida must
be described, if it is to be described accurately, maybe