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in farms. The average farm size for the two areas was 183 acres compared with

316 acres for the state as a whole. Crop, grazing, and forest land are inter-

mingled in the study area with relatively more forest land in West than in

North Florida. Only about a third of the land area in West Florida is in

farms. A relatively large proportion of the limited farmland is used for

crops, particularly for such field crops as corn, cotton, peanuts, and tobacco.

Most of the rural land outside farms is commercial forest land with a moderate-

to-high proportion of well-stocked commercial stands of timber. In North

Florida, about half the land is in farms and more of the farmland is idle crop-

land and woodland grazed than in West Florida. The entire study area lies in

the Coastal Plains, where timber companies and cotton and turpentine planta-

tions were dominant in early times. The present land cover and land use, as

well as the economic situation, have been influenced by depletion of saw-

timber stands and naval stores and declining profits from production of

cotton. In recent times, however, forestry has increased in importance, The

stumpage value of slash pine for pulp and other uses has risen substantially.

Active tree-planting programs are underway. Paper companies and other corpo-

rations have increased their forest holdings and raised the average level of

timber management.

 The soils of North and West Florida are predominantly well-drained

sands with deep sands on the higher ridges. There are also poorly drained

flatlands along the coastal area in Economic Area I. The heavy rainfall and

the warm climate have furthered the processes of leaching and oxidation of

soil nutrients. In terms of natural fertility, however, the soil in this

area compare favorably with other parts of the southeastern Coastal Plain.

The growing season usually exceeds 240 days. Average rainfall amounting to

50 to 60 inches annually is ample for agriculture. Because killing frosts are