109 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



no 



according to the present ratio of representation, entitles the state to 

 sand 25 representatives to Congress. To the Senate, like each of the 

 other states, Pennsylvania sends 2 representatives. 



Surface, Soil, Climate, Productions. The Alleghauy or Appalachian 

 Mountains cover more than one-half of the surface of this state. The 

 ridgss of which the mountain system consists run in the general 

 direction of the whole system, south-south-west and north-north-east; 

 and along the southern boundary-line of the state their width hardly 

 falls short of 100 miles. But north of 40 N. lat. the eastern ridges 

 turn to the east-north-east, while the western ranges continue in a 

 north-north-east course, and thus between 41 and 42 N. lat. the two 

 outer ridges of the mountains are 200 miles apart. This mountain 

 region occupies the middle and above half of the state, and to the 

 south-east and north-west of it extend two hilly regions exhibiting 

 different natural features. 



1. Tke South-Eattem Region extends along the Delaware River as far 

 north as 41 X. lat., and along the boundary of Maryland as fur west 

 as 7' W. long. Its north-western border is formed by the eastern 

 ridge of the Blue Mountains. This region forms a portion of the 

 Atlantic elope ; the surface, while generally undulating or hilly, rising 

 gradually from the south-east to the north-west, and near the foot of 

 the Blue Mountains attaining an elevation of between 200 and 300 feet 

 above the sea. About 15 miles from the Blue Mountains is the con- 

 tinuous ridge called the South Mountains, which rises to a considerable 

 height near the southern boundary, but farther east exhibits frequent 

 depressions. This ridge terminates on the banks of the Delaware at 

 the mouth of the Lebigh River. Along the Delaware the soil is a 

 sandy loam, not distinguished by fertility, but well cultivated on 

 account of the ready market afforded by the navigable river and the 

 city of Philadelphia. Farther inland the soil improves considerably 

 in fertility. The climate of this region resembles that of England, 

 except that the changes are more sudden and greater, and the summers 

 hotter and the winters colder, than in England. The mean annual 

 temperature varies between 54" and 50 according to the elevation of 

 the country. Sudden changes of temperature, extending to 20 or 80 

 degrees, are not uncommon at any season. During the winter months 

 there is a good deal of frost and snow. Bain is abundant all the year 

 round. The mean annual fall is 33 inches. The greatest quantity 

 fall* in the summer months, from June to September. In thin region 

 are cultivated the grains of England, with maize and much buckwheat. 

 Hemp, flax, tobacco, and esculent plants thrive very well. The 

 orchards chiefly produce apples, peaches, and cherries ; the other fruits 

 are less cultivated. In some sheltered places there are extensive 

 vineyards. 



2. Tke Mountain Rtyion south of 41 N. lat consists of a succession 

 of steep ridges and narrow valleys ; but north of that line it extends 

 in an elevated table-land, the greater portion of the surface being 

 occupied by large tracts of level or hilly ground, while the mountain 

 ridges are far distant from each other, and cover a comparatively small 

 part of the surface. 



Nearly in the middle of the mountain region runs the highest and 

 widest of the ranges of the Alleghany Mountains. In the southern 

 district* of Pennsylvania it forms the watershed between the rivers, 

 which descend eastward to the Potomac and Susquehanna, and west- 

 ward to the Ohio; but north of 41' N. lat., where it inclines to the 

 north-east, the continuity is broken by the upper branches of the 

 Susquehanna. The summit of this range is broad and nearly of equal 

 elevation, being destitute of peaks. It* elevation above the sea, south 

 of 41 " N. lat, seems to vary between 2000 and 2600 feet, and it stands 

 on a bate from 800 to 1000 feet high and from 6 to 10 miles wide. 

 Ea.it nf this range there are five or six other ridges running parallel 

 to each other. The moat eastern, the Blue or Kittatinny Mountains, 

 emus to be the highest, and in the Wind Qap, near Williamsburg, on 

 the Delaware, attains the elevation of 1390 feet The valleys inclosed 

 by these several ridges rise in elevation as they approach the main 

 Allegbanj range ; the mort easterly being hardly more than 800 feet 

 above the sea-level. Both the ridge* and the valleys are comparatively 

 narrow, occupying on an average only three miles in width. The 

 declivities of the ridges are steep, and the valleys much depressed and 

 deep. The mountain region wt.it of the main range consists, south of 

 . lat, of two broad valleys and two ranges, called the Laurel 

 HilUt and the Chestnut Ridge. The valleys are about 1000 feet above 

 the sea-level, and the ranges rise some 700 or SOU feet above them. 

 The noil of (bis region u in general poor ami stony, though the valleys 

 contain some alluvial tracts of great fertility, but of inconsiderable 

 extent The winters are very cold and of long duration ; the snow 

 covers the ground for several months. The springs are wet ; and the 

 summers, though hot, of comparatively short duration. Maize does 

 not ripen in most part*, and in only planted to be consumed before it 

 gets ripe; wheat is only cultivated in sheltered places. The most 

 common grains are rye and oats. The vegetables generally raised are 

 peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, shallots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and 

 cabbages. The uncultivated portion of this region, which compre- 

 hends the greater part, u chiefly covered with forests. On the huher 

 parti of the ridges the mountain* are covered with Cvntfera, as pitch, 

 spruce, and white pines and cedar*. In the valleys are oak and chest- 

 nut, and, where the soil is subject to inundations, sycamores. West 

 of the Laurel Hills the foretts are mainly composed of the broad- 



leaved laurel, rhododendron, and Magnolia acuminata, mixed with 

 chestnut-trees and some oaks. 



The table-land of Pennsylvania, on the mountain region north of 

 41 N. lat., consists, as already observed, of wide broken plains with 

 some ridges and some extensive swamps. The highest part of the 

 table-land is contiguous to the boundary-line of New York, and rises 

 to au elevation of about 1300 feet, with a few ridges which are a few 

 hundred feet higher. Along the water-courses the table-land is de- 

 pressed, sometimes above a hundred feet, and in these districts alone 

 rye, oats, and some vegetables are cultivated. There are however 

 extensive pastures on the higher parts. The climate is still more 

 severe than it is between the ridges farther south, as the low ridges 

 cannot shelter the plains against the prevailing north-west winds. 

 The forests of the higher laud are almost entirely composed of Com- 

 fer<t, but they do not contain many timber-trees, the stony soil being 

 too poor for their growth. In the depressions and along the rivers 

 are sugar-maple, black walnut, elm, and beach. 



3. The A'ortk- Western Region constitutes the most eastern portion 

 of the plain which slopes from the base of the Alleghany Mountains 

 westward to the banks of the Mississippi Near the foot of the moun- 

 tains it is from 900 to 1000 feet above the sea, and where it approaches 

 the boundary-line of Ohio it is still nearly 700 feet above it, iu the 

 valley of the Ohio, but much higher farther northward, where it pre 

 serves the elevation of from 900 to 1000 feet to the very boundary- 

 line. The surface of this region is undulating, the ascents being 

 gentle and the upper part of the eminences broad, with a rounded 

 outline, except along the water-courses of the larger rivers, where the 

 ascent is rather steep. The soil varies very much : in many places 

 there are large tracts with a poor and stony soil ; in others, especially 

 along the rivers, there are fertile tracts. The climate does not mate- 

 rially differ from that of the south-eastern region, except that the 

 winters are colder, and the quantity of rain which fells is not quite so 

 great. In the southern districts cultivation has made considerable 

 progress, and the country presents a pleasing variety of fields and 

 forests. All the grains of the south-east region are raised in abun- 

 dance, and the orchards produce great quantities of fruit, especially 

 apples and cherries. The forests consist chiefly of oak and sugar-maple. 

 The northern districts are almost entirely covered with forests, con- 

 siiting of hemlock, spruce, and Weymouth pine, which attains a great 

 sise, intermixed with beech, birch, and sugar-maple. 



Ifytlroyraplty ; Communication*. The most important river of 

 Pennsylvania is the Delaware, which is navigable by large ships to 

 Philadelphia, and by sloops to Trenton, 130 miles from its mouth. 

 [DELAWARE.] The Sutqvekanna rises iu two branches on the table- 

 lands of Pennsylvania and New York, of which the eastern branch 

 originates near 74 40' W. long., and the western near 78 40' W. long., 

 and consequently more than 200 miles from each other. The eastern 

 and principal branch has its source in Lake Otsego, near the western 

 declivity of the Tuscarorn Mountains in New York, traverses the 

 table-land of New York in a south-western and western direction, and 

 after a course of about 140 miles enters Pennsylvania, and is soon after- 

 wards joined by the Tioga River, which dollects its waters on the 

 tal>le-laud farther west, and flows about 30 miles. From the junction 

 with the Tioga it flows about 130 miles south-east, and afterwards south- 

 west, to its junction with the western branch. This western branch, 

 which is exclusively a river of Pennsylvania, originates in the moun- 

 tainous tract south of 4 1 N. lat., and after a northern and eastern 

 course of about 140 miles, it turns southward about 26 miles and joins 

 the eastern branch above Sunbury. After the union of the two 

 branches, the Susquehanna runs southward for about 50 miles, 

 traversing by narrow valleys five or six of the ridges, which here lie 

 between the table-land and the south-eastern region. Before it reaches 

 the lower country it receives on its right bank the largest of its 

 affluents, the Juuiala, which rises on the western declivity of the 

 Alleghany Mountains, and runs in a circuitous course for about 150 

 miles, collecting in its way by far the greater part of the waters in the 

 eastern part of the mountain region south of 41 N. lat. After having 

 left the mountain region above Harrisburg, the Susquehanna is joined 

 by the Swatara Creek, whose course hardly exceeds 50 miles, and by 

 several other small streams. The course of the Susquehanna through 

 the south-eastern region U about 170 miles ; its entire course is some- 

 what under 450 miles. It U navigable by sloops for about 5 miles; but 

 above that navigation is impracticable, owing to the rapidity of the 

 current and the numerous rocky ledges which form numerous rapids. 

 Its waters however have been rendered available by the construction 

 of canals. Some of the affluents of the Susquehanna, as the Tioga, 

 Juniata, and Swatara, are navigable for small boats, at least a con- 

 siderable part of the year, when the rivers are full. 



The western part of the state is drained by the two principal 

 branches of the Ohio, the Alleghany and Monongahela river*. 

 [Mississippi RIVER, vol. iii. col. 821.] Both of these rivers are navi- 

 gable for boats during several months of the year. The Ohio, also 

 noticed under MISSISSIPPI RIVER, is formed by the junction of these 

 two streams, and runs westward about 4 miles through Pennsylvania; 

 it is joined from the north by the Big Beaver River, which is navigable 

 for boats as far as the boundary-line between Pennsylvania and the 

 Ohio. 



Pennsylvania has a most extensive system of canals, by which the 



