The Bulletin 7 



In addition to the border line counties, the Piedmont region includes 

 all of Warren, Vance, Granville, Person, CasAvell, Rockingham, Stokes, 

 Yadkin, Porsyth, Guilford, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Randolph, 

 Davidson, Rowan, Davie, Iredell, Alexander, Catawba, Lincoln, Cleve- 

 land, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union and Stanly. 



GENERAL TOPOQKAPHY AND DRAINAGE. 



The prevailing surface features or topography of the Piedmont re- 

 gion is that of a high plateau which has been dissected by numerous 

 streams and now presents a dominantly rolling and uneven surface. 

 Upon some of the broader divides, and interstream areas the surface is 

 undulating to gently rolling, becoming rolling and hilly as the streams 

 are approached. Gullied and eroded areas are common, particularly 

 near many of the larger streams. There are also areas of level to 

 undulating land, occupying a low or basin position with reference to the 

 surrounding soils. This character of topography is particularly dis- 

 tinctive of a part of the Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Granville soils. In 

 isolated spots throughout the Piedmont region there are conspicuous 

 hills, ridges, and low mountains rising several hundred feet above the 

 general level of the uplands. The most noticeable of these occur in 

 Gaston, Burke, Alexander, Wilkes, Iredell, Randolph and Stokes coun- 

 ties. 



Bordering the Coastal Plain on the east, the Piedmont region has an 

 elevation above sea level of about 300 to 400 feet, this gradually rising 

 to the west until it attains an elevation approximately of 1,000 to 1,200 

 feet, where it commonly merges into the mountains. The general slope 

 of the Piedmont region, as evidenced by the stream courses, is to the 

 southeast. The rivers, larger creeks, and streams have carved out 

 rather deep, but usually, narrow valleys, and in these some flat and level 

 areas of bottom land are seen in contrast to the general rolling character 

 of the country. With the exception of a few local areas, the soils of the 

 Piedmont region have excellent natural surface drainage, in fact, the 

 rainfall runs off the hillsides so rapidly that erosion is very pronounced 

 in many places and terracing has been resorted to as an essential means 

 of preventing the cultivated fields from gullying and washing. The 

 drainage of this region is effected through Roanoke, Tar, N'euse, Haw, 

 Cape Fear, Yadkin, Pee Dee, and Catawba rivers, and their numerous 

 tributaries which ramify the uplands, forming an intricate net-work 

 of creeks, branches, and streamlets. All of the region is adequately 

 watered. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of the Piedmont region of ISTorth Carolina is fairly mild 

 and equable, being suitable for the growing of a large variety of farm 

 crops. An examination of the data given in the appended table as taken 

 from the Weather Bureau records at Raleigh, Charlotte, Statesville, 

 and Roxboro, will reveal the fact that the rainfall is ample and well dis- 

 tributed throughout the year. The temperature seldom reaches 100 

 degrees F, or drops below zero. The spring and fall months are almost 

 ideal for farm work, while the summers are not excessively hot nor the 



