VIRGINIA. 



VIRGINIA. 



1023 



1. Tlu Mmitimt .Stop* / tin Atlantic comprehcn.1i al*o the eastern 

 aha** of Virginia, or tht part which lie* et of Chesapeake Bay. 

 TMs oooBtrv omuiiU of a tongue of land about 70 milm long and 10 

 IU. in width, UK UUndi included, but without them only 7 miles 

 m Along the shore i* a iterile tract rnontly covered with low 

 ad-hill* or swamp*, and about half a mile wide ; the interior is a 

 Ur.1 Oat country, with a light tandy coil rwting on clay. The prin- 

 cipal crop* are maize and oaU, but wheat, cotton, r*, beans, and 

 potato** are aluo grown. There are good orchards, in which the fig- 

 irnu and pomegranat-tres attain a large site, aiid yield nbundiint 

 fruit The palma-christl, from which the castor-oil is obtained, is 

 cultivate 1 to a considerable extent. 



of the Maritime Region weat of Chempeake Hay. the south-eastern 

 portion a flat country which rises imperceptibly towards the south. 

 The soil it a mixture of sand and clay, but less fertile than the eastern 

 h<Te ; iU production* are the same. On aome low tracts near the 

 Diunal Swamp rice is grown, anil this is the most northern point 

 where that grain is cultivated on the Atlantic shore of tho United 

 StaUsi The Dismal Swamp extends into NORTH CAROLINA. From 

 the forests at the southern part of the Swamp a large quantity of 

 lumber i obtained. Near the centre of the Swamp, in Virginia, ia 

 Lake l>rummon<l, which extends about 7 miles in every direction, 

 and rarits in depth from 10 to 20 feet The remainder of the Mari- 

 time Krfrion has a somewhat undulating surface, which towards the 

 WMtern limiU of the region is diversified with hills. The soil ia 

 allurial, but thin and poor. Some of the higher tracts are nearly 

 destitute of vegetation and barren, and others are covered with forests 

 of stunted pine*, from which tar, pitch, and rosin are extracted. The 

 bottoms of the rivers have a deeper and richer soil, and produce good 

 crop*. Wheat is not much cultivated, but maize, oats, potatoes, and 

 sweet potatoes are extensively grown ; tobacco is also cultivated. The 

 orchards yield apples, pears, cherries, quinces, nectarines, apricots, 

 almonds, plums, pomegranates, fig?, peaches, and mulberries. 



The climate of this low region, if compared with that of low 

 countries on the east of the Atlantic, is distinguished by great and 

 sudden change*, which occur at all seasons except October and 

 November. The winters are much colder than in any part of Europe 

 oath of the Alps, and also more severe than in the low countries 

 north of the Alps. Frosts are frequent, and sometimes very severe, 

 bat generally of short duration. During July and August the heat is 

 very great, the thermometer rising almost every year to 90, and 

 sometime* to 96 and 98. The mean annual temperature is 56". 

 Though the number of rainy days is less in this region than in England, 

 the mean annual quantity of rain is much greater. Tho prevailing 

 wind all the year round is the south-west; but in autumn and winter 

 the wind blows from all quarters except tho south, and southerly 

 wind* are at all seasons very rare. The change of tho wind produces 

 sudden changes in tho temperature. Jefferson states that the ther- 

 mometer has descended 45 degrees in thirteen hours, from 92 to 47, 

 in consequence of a change of the wind. 



2. The Upper Slope of the Atlantic extends from the western limit 

 of the Maritime Slope to the Blue Ridge. From the base of the ridge 

 the country descends to the falls of the rivers in an inclined plane. 

 Where tho falli occur, a ledge of rocks extends across the state, rising 

 from 100 to 200 feet above their base, which in most places is about 

 100 feet above the sea-level. The surface of this region presents only 

 a comparatively small number of hills, from 800 to 500 feet high ; it 

 generally extends in undulating plains, which in many places have a 

 gentle acclivity, but in others are broken and uneven, and between 

 these plain* are the deeper depressions, in which the rivers run. The 

 hills are generally not steep, but the soil ia sometimes rocky, and not 

 fit for cultivation. They aro mostly overgrown with ash, beech, elm, 

 hickory, chestnut, oak, and hemlock. Tho soil of the higher grounds 

 between the bottoms of the rivers is sandy, but has in general a mode- 

 rate degree of fertility. The cultivated tracts yield moderate crops of 

 wheat, maize, tobacco, and oats, and also rye and buckwheat. The 

 orchard* are extensive, and all the trees mentioned in the foregoing 

 region succeed, except pomegranates and almonds. The forests, which 

 (till cover a considerable part of tho surface, are comprised of oak, 

 hickory, gum, maple, logwood, and especially yellow pine. The bot- 

 toms along the watercourse* are extensive along the large rivers : that 

 of the Jamoa River is in general from two to three miles wide, and 

 extends from Richmond to Lynchburg, 125 miles. Their soil is gene- 

 rally excellent, and produces good crops of wheat, maize, and oats, 

 and the best sort of tobacco, which is extensively cultivated. Nearly 



i cotton exported from Virginia is from this district. The hills 



a are dispersed over this region are mostly isolated and irregular ; 



bat there extends over the whole width of the state a series of hills 



and short range*, nearly in a parallel line with the Blue Ridge, and at 



Mine* of from 15 to 80 miles east of it. North of James River, 



which for more than 80 mile* flows along its eastern base, this hilly 



U called the 8outh-We.t Mountain ; but towards the northern 



extremity it U called the Bull Run and Kittoctan Mountains. This 



chain me. from 800 to 1200 feet above the aea-level. The hills are 



rith fan* of oak, hickory, green maple, white and yellow 



poplar, black and white walnut, ash, saasafras, dogwood, chertnut, and 



ok. The long valley which extends between these hills and 



the Blue Range U in general hilly; for several onsets of the Blue 



Ridge advance into it from 5 to 10 miles from the range, and it also 

 contains many isolated hill*. The soil generally consists of a good 

 mould lying on a substratum of red clay. In the northern district it 

 is lighter, and contains a good proportion of sand or gravel. The 

 principal objects of agriculture are maize, wheat, rye, oats, and pota- 

 toes. In the southern districts much tobacco is grown, aud hemp in 

 several place*. The orchards yield apples, peaches, cherries, plums, 

 quinces, and grapes. The general level of this valley is from 500 to 

 700 feet above the sea, except towards the north, where it is lower. 

 The mean annual temperature of this region is from three to six 

 degree* lower than in the maritime region. 



3. The Mountain Region of the Appalachian! lies west of tho upper 

 region of the Atlantic Slope. It is described generally umlc r 

 ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS. It extends in a general north-east direction, 

 from the southern boundary of the state along the Cumberland Moun- 

 tains to the Qreenbrier liidge, and along Laurel Range to Cheat River, 

 which breaks through it near 39 20' N. lat, and thence to Pennsyl- 

 vania, where it goes by the name of the Laurel Hills, The ext 

 region inclosed by this line and the Blue Ridge is widest in the southern 

 part ; between the southern boundary of the stato and 37 ' 25' N. lat. 

 it extends 150 miles east and west, but north of that parallel it hardly 

 ever exceeds or fulls much short of 90 miles. The most elevated 

 points of this region are the peaks of Otter, which occur in tho Blue 

 Ridge near 37 35' N. lat., and whose highest summit is 4260 feet 

 above the sea, and the White Top Mountains, situated near the place 

 where the three states of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee aro 

 contiguous, and whose highest summit is still more elevated. These 

 however are single summits, which are not frequent in this mountain 

 system, as tho upper edses of the ridges extend in nearly straight 

 lines, which at certain distances, usually from eight to ten rniUs, arc 

 broken by narrow depression?, through which gaps the roads run. 

 The general elevation of the ridges however seems to vary bn 

 2500 aud 3000 feet, except towards the banks of the Potomac, where 

 it sinks to between 1400 and 1000 feet above the sea. 



South of 37 N. lat. there are, besides several smaller ones, four 

 large parallel ridges, called, from west to east, tho Cumberland Moun- 

 tains, Clinch Mountains, Iron Mountains, and the Blue Ridge, which 

 are connected by the Great Ass Mountains, and other transverse 

 ridges. This section of the mountain region appears to be more 

 favoured by nature than any other. It is well watered by rivers of 

 gentle current, and free from rapids or other impediments to naviga- 

 tion ; the valleys are rather wide, and the soil is black and of the best 

 quality. Cultivation is successfully carried on nearly to the northern 

 extremities of the valleys; the mountains inclosing which are steep, 

 but almost entirely covered with large forest-trees, such as chestnut, 

 beech, walnut, elm, black and white oak, maple, ash, poplar, and 

 buck-eye. The principal articles of cultivation are maize, wheat, rye, 

 oats, hemp, flax, and potatoes. The orchards are generally planted 

 with apple- and peach-trees and vines, this being one of the best grape 

 countries in Virginia, On the mountains are good pastures, and 

 many horses, cattle, and hogs are reared. 



North-east of this section lies that which is drained by the Kanawha. 

 It is also traversed by four larger ridges, of which the two most 

 southern preserve the names of the Blue Ridge and Iron Mountains ; 

 but the continuation of the Clinch Mountains is called Walker's Moun- 

 tains west of the Kauawha, and Peter's Mountains east of that river. 

 The most northern ridge is called Great Flat Top, and is connected 

 with the Great Ass Mountains. A transverse ridge running nearly 

 due north and south, near 80 15' W. loug., connects Peter's Moun- 

 tains with the Iron Mountains, and these with the Blue Ridge. This 

 section is probably the most elevated part of tho mountain system 

 south of the Potomac ; where the Kanawha is joined by the Green- 

 brier River its surface is 1333 feet above the sea. The river runs 

 sometimes for many miles between high rocks rising almost perpen- 

 dicularly from the water's edge. In other places level tracts, hardly 

 ever half a mile wide, but of some extent, are found near the banks; 

 but they do not constitute what is called a river bottom, being many 

 feet elevated above its level in the time of the freshets. These are 

 the only tracts which are fit for cultivation, and on which considerable 

 quantities of maize, potatoes, hemp, and flax are raised. The moun- 

 tains are generally covered with tall trees. 



All the waters collected in the two sections already described run 

 off to the Ohio by the Tennessee and Great Kanawha rivers, but farther 

 north the greater part of the drainage flows into the rivers which fall 

 into the Atlantic. The watershed between these rivers aud those 

 which run to the Ohio is formed by a continuous ridge, which on the 

 banks of the Kanawha is called Peter's Mountain, but farther north 

 is known as the Alleghany Mountains. The wide space east of the 

 Alleghany Mountains and west of the Blue Ridge is traversed in all its 

 length by a chain known as the North Mountain, or Great Kitt.itinny 

 Chain. The western districts of this section are traversed by numer- 

 ous ridges rising from 1000 to 1 200 feet above the sea, but between 

 them along the large rivers are valleys from one to two miles wide, 

 where maize, wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, flax, and 

 hemp are grown. They are however better adapted for pasture ; and 

 live stock, with butter and wool, constitute the principal articles for 

 tho market Those parts of this section which are contiguous to tha 

 Blue Kidge have wider valleys and an equally good soil, which pro- 



