8 The Bulletin. 



whole section was pushed up high above the lands to the east and 

 the west. Each separate mountain chain represents an old fold in 

 the earth's crust. At this time there was no soil, but the surface 

 consisted of undecomposed rock. The slow but constant action for 

 centuries of nature's agencies of decomposition such as rain, sunshine, 

 freezing and thawing, vegetation and the like, has gradually broken- 

 down these native rocks into very small particles, which, mixed with 

 partly decomposed organic or vegetable matter forms the present soil. 

 In many sections, especially on the steep mountain slopes, where 

 erosion has gone on as rapidly as decomposition, bare rocks still 

 form the surface. More surprising, however, is the uniform soil 

 covering which is often ten to even fifty feet in thickness. Practically 

 all of these upland mountain soils have been derived in this way 

 from igneous and metamorphic rocks, mainly gneisses, schists and 

 granites. The sandy loams, sands, and most of the loams are products 

 of the granites and gneisses ; while the heavy loams, clay loams and 

 clays have been derived for the most part from the schists. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of this section is very favorable for extensive agri- 

 cultural development. The rainfall and temperature vary consider- 

 ably in different parts of the area. In general, however, the rainfall 

 is large. The annual rainfall is greater than in any other section 

 of the State. Occasionally during the summer months several inches 

 of rain will fall within a few hours, frequently resulting in the 

 serious erosion of the sloping fields, and the flooding of the alluvial 

 lands along the streams. Often there is considerable snowfall dur- 

 ing the winter and the higher mountain chains are commonly cov- 

 ered with more or less snow throughout the winter months. 



The climatic conditions are well adapted to grain and stock farm- 

 ing as well as to gardening and fruit growing. The growing season 

 is comparatively short, the last killing frost in the spring generally 

 occurring from the middle to the latter part of April, though it may 

 freeze well up into May. Killing frosts in the fall may be expected 

 about the middle of October. 



The following table gives the average precipitation and tempera- 

 ture at several points in the section: 



