Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/570

 448 UNITED STATES : — FLORIDA

Finance, Defence. — ^'^^' tlie year 1912 the receipts and disbursements iuaounted to the followin»f sums : —

Dollars

Balanee from 1911 336,399

Receipts in 1912 1,202,085

Total 1,538,484

Disbursements in 1912 1,185,172

Balance Jan. 1, 1913 353,312

These sums are exclusive of funds of which the State treasurer is ex-ojicio treasurer.

In 1912 the public debt of the State consisted of refunding bonds to the amount of 601,567 dollars at three per cent, interest, all of which were held by State educational funds. In 1908, the assessed valuation of pro])erty amounted to: Realty, 99,372,097 dollars; personalty, 31,299,129 dollars; railways and telegraphs, 28,719,004 dollars ; total, 159,390,230 dollars.

The militia, called the Florida State troops, with its head-quarters at Tallahassee, consists of infantry and artillery, with a total strength of 101 officers and 1,242 men. The Federal authorities have naval stations at Key "West and Pensacola.

Production and Industry.— Agriculture is pursued gt-nerally in all ])arts of the State. In 1910 there Avere 50,016 farms, with a total acreage of 5,253,538, of which 1,805,408 acres were improved. The chief products are pineajjples and oranges, the former fruit being grown almost nowhere else in the United States. Other crops are tobacco, 2,604,000 pounds in 1912 ; rice, 15,000 bushels in 1912 ; besides maize, oats, peas, and pea- nuts. In 1910 the cotton area Avas 263,454 acres, and the yield 65,056 bales. Forests of valuable timber cover three-fourths of the State, and large quantities of pitch-pine are exported as Avell as oak timber for ship-building. Tar, turpentine, and rosin are prepared in increasing quantities.

The chief mineral product is phosi)hate rock, 2,436,248 long tons (9,473,638 dollars) in 1911. Fullers' earth, lime, and mineral waters are also produced. The Avhole mineral output in 1911 was valued at 10,250,228 dollars.

Florida, with its long coast line, has extensive fisheries, which, though not fully developed, are more important than those of any other Gulf State. The chief lishery products are shad, red snappers, mullet, turtles, and sponges, of which Florida has almost a monopoh\ Pensac-ola is said to be the most in^iortant ft'csh lish market on the Gulf. From this port tar, resin, and turpentine are exported to the value of over 500,000/. sterling annually, and also cotton (1,806,000/.), tobacco, and phosphate produced in other States.

The manufacturing industries of Florida increased the value of their out- put from 50,298,290' dollars in 1905 to 72,890,000 dollars in 1910. The following statistics refer to the year 1910 : —