172 THE CLIMATE OF CALVERT COUNTY 



Plain is divided into two portions by Chesapeake Bay, the higher western 

 division being known as Southern Maryland. It includes St. Mary's, 

 Calvert, Charles, Prince G-eorge's, and Anne Arundel counties. 



The characteristics of the Coastal Plain, important from a climatic 

 standpoint, are its low, level lands, composed mostly of unconsolidated 

 sands and clays, and the deep indentation of the region by Chesapeake 

 Bay, its rivers and tributaries. The elevation of the land is consider- 

 ably higher in the western peninsula than in eastern Maryland, fre- 

 quently exceeding 100 feet even along its eastern margin, and reaching 

 280 feet farther west near Washington. Calvert County extends in its 

 greatest length north and south, and lies between the Patuxent River 

 and Chesapeake Bay. The water-shed of the county has the peculiarity 

 of being near the eastern shore, so that the drainage of the region is 

 largely southwest into the Patuxent River. In southern Calvert County 

 an elevation of 140 feet is found to the west of Cove Point, and there 

 is a gradual increase in elevation northward to the southern border of 

 Anne Arundel County where the land rises above 180 feet. 



The soils of Calvert County belong chiefly to the Pleistocene forma- 

 tions. They are undoubtedly of comparatively recent elevation above 

 sea level, and are composed of unconsolidated sands, gravels, and clays. 

 The proportion of clay is often less than 3 per cent, and the soils are 

 accordingly not very retentive of moisture ; they must therefore be warm, 

 and able to force vegetation to early maturity, and would probably 

 make fine truck farms under modern methods of intensive cultivation. 

 Pine barrens occupy a considerable area in Calvert County. 



It will be seen from this brief description of the physiographic features 

 of the county, that the chief modifying factor is the presence of large 

 bodies of water, in Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River and its tributaries, 

 and the Atlantic Ocean, distant only about 75 miles eastward. Eleva- 

 tion plays no important role. It would seem proper in this sketch to 

 give some attention to the general influence of water masses on climate 

 and to seek to ascertain, as far as the data available will permit^ what 

 ■specific effect must be attributed to the proximity of the Bay and the 

 Atlantic Ocean. 



