:19;20] The Regional Geography of South Carolina 107 



ception of the Blue Rido'e just mentioned. Its area is about 3,600 

 square miles. It is characterized by gneiss and other metamorphie 

 rocks, which weather into red clayey loams and gray sandy loams of 

 medium fertility. It has more water-power in proportion to its area 

 than any of the regions lower down, and cotton manufacturing is a 

 very important industry. The statistics used are based on the six 

 northwesternmost counties, all of which have more whites than negroes 

 (which cannot be said of any other six contiguous counties in the 

 state). 



The loiver Piedmont region is similar geologically to the upper, 

 except for having more granite, trap and shate. On account of being 

 nearer the coast and less elevated the topography is a little smoother 

 and there is less water-power than in the upper division (as could be 

 brought out by means of certain census statistics if one wanted to take 

 the trouble). The soil is apparently just a little more fertile on the 

 average than that nearer the mountains. (Fertile soil and abundant 

 water-power hardh' ever characterize one and the same region.*) The 

 area is about 6,500 square miles, approximately coextensive with 

 eleven counties. 



The boundary between the upper and lower Piedmont regions is a 

 rather arbitrary one, for the most striking ditt'erence between them, 

 and one not wholly accounted for by the rather small differences in 

 natural environment, is in the racial composition of the population, 

 which is brought out in the table. The cause of this marked differ- 

 ence is not altogether clear, but it is probably' largely historical, 

 though it may be partly fortuitous. The same distinction can be made 

 very satisfactorily in the Piedmont region of Georgia, but not in North 

 Carolina, perhaps on account of soil differences. 



The innermost division of the coastal plain is the sand-hills, which 

 extend all the way across the state, — except for being interrupted l)y 

 river valleys — and a considerable distance into the two adjoining 

 states. The area is irregular and not easy to measure, but is probably 

 about 3,000 square miles. This is an elevated aiul very sandy region, 

 as the name implies. It lias an agreeable climate and pnre water, and 

 contains some well-known winter and spring resorts, sucli as Camden 

 and Aiken. The soil is rather poor, but the counties used in jireparing 

 the table (Chesterfield, Kei-sliaw and Lexington) all iiirhulc parts of 

 more fertile regions, so that the census statistics arc not altogether 



* See Journal of Forestry (\Viisliiiit;ton ) 16: li:!. litis. 



