NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2215 



contributed nearly three-fourths of this quantity and 

 pears, and peaches and nectarines most of the remainder. 

 The apple trees of bearing age in 1910 numbered 1,288,- 

 482; those not of bearing age, 660,685. The apple-pro- 

 duction in 1909 was 1,822,824 bushels, valued at .1:902,- 

 077. The peach and nectarine trees of bearing age in 

 1910 numbered 1,497,724; those not of bearing age 

 805,063. The production in 1909 was 324,609 bushels, 

 valued at $361,617. Pear trees of bearing age in 191() 

 numbered 540,583; those not of bearing age 138,152. 

 The production in 1909 was 367,359 bushels, valued at 

 $168,561. In addition, there were produced in 1909, 

 42,315 bushels of cherries, valued at .160,121; 13,.526 

 bushels of plums and prunes, valued at $16,192; 6,359 

 bushels of quinces, valued at $8,383; and 365 bushels 

 of apricots, valued at $448. 



The jiroduction of grapes is not of marked impor- 

 tance. In 1910 the grape-vines of bearing age numbered 

 138,801; those not of bearing age 44,690. The produc- 

 tion in 1909 was 2,152,382 pounds, valued at .$53,498. 



The total production of nvits in 1909 was 318,148 

 pounds, valued at .15,687. Black walnuts and chestnuts 

 contributed the greater part of this amount, the pro- 

 duction of black walnuts in 1909 being 274,936 pounds, 

 valued at $2,997; that of chestnuts, 24,842 pounds, 

 valued at $1,4.39. There were also produced in 1909, 

 6,916 pounds of Persian or Enghsh walnuts, valued at 

 $745; and 1,717 pounds of pecans, valued at $85. 



Strawberries are the most important of the small- 

 fruits, with blackberries and dewberries next in im- 

 portance. The acreage of strawberries increased from 

 13,980 in 1899 to 14,292 in 1909, when the production 

 was 23,611,095 quarts, valued at $1,070,072. In the 

 same period the acreage of blackberries and dewberries 

 decreased from 1,501 in 1899 to 1,180 in 1909, when the 

 production was 1,372,164 quarts, valued at $68,817. 

 The acreage of raspberries and log.anberries decreased 

 from 1,385 in 1899 to 846 in 1909 when the production 

 was 9.59,369 quarts, valued at $67,516. There were also 

 produced in 1909, 300,321 quarts of gooseberries, valued 

 at $18,000; and 34,009 quarts of currants, valued at 

 $3,138. 



The tomato holds first place among the vegetables 

 grown in Maryland. In 1909, it covered an area of 

 42,721 acres, and was valued at $2,037,634. Potatoes, 

 sweet potatoes and yams are next in importance. The 

 acreage of potatoes increased from 26,472 in 1899 to 

 39,299 in 1909, when the production was 3,444,311 

 bushels, valued at $1,782,954. The acreage of sweet 

 potatoes and yams increased from 6,469 in 1899 to 

 7,956 in 1909, when the production was 1,065,956 

 bushels, valued at $483,751. Of the other vegetables 

 produced in 1909, the more important were: 18,387 acres 

 of sweet com, valued at $386,277 ; 3,481 acres of cabbage, 

 valued at $304,394; 3,516 acres of cantaloupes and 

 muskmelons, valued at $246,333; 6,0.30 acres of green 

 peas, valued at 220,709; 2,746 acres of green beans, 

 valued at $153,013; 2,432 acres of watermelons, valued 

 at $94,737; and 1,314 acres of spinach, valued at $80,- 

 653. Vegetables of les.ser importance were asparagus, 

 beets, cauMflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, horse- 

 radish, kale, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, rhu- 

 barb and turnips. 



The acreage devoted to the production of flowers and 

 plants increased from 174 in 1899 to 478 in 1909, an 

 increase of 174.7 per cent. The total area of land under 

 gla,ss in 1909 was 2,175,.584 square feet, of which 2,051,- 

 068 were covered by greenhouses, and 124,516 by sa.shes 

 and frames. The value of the flowers and plants pro- 

 duced in 1909 was $597,001, as compared with $355,862 

 in 1899. 



The acreage of nursery products increased from 1 ,275 

 in 1S99 to 4,240 in 1909, an increiisc of 232.5 per cent. 

 In 1909 the value of the nursery products was $456,900, 

 as compared with $123,474 in 1899. 



Herman Beckenstrateb. 



Virginia. 



The state of Virginia (Fig. 2510) comprises six main 

 physical or natural divisions known as the Tidewater, 

 Middle, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Appala- 

 chian regions. Each of these divisions has its own soil 

 types arid to a less extent its peculiarities of climate. 

 These divisions consist of parallel belts of territory of 

 the same general direction as the Alleghany Mountains. 



The Tidewater division extends from the seashore to 

 the head of tide and comprises about 1 1 ,350 square miles 

 of territory. The highest elevation within this division 

 is not more than 200 feet above sea-level. This district 

 is traversed by numerous navigable rivers and its shores 

 are indented by many estuaries and bays. The soil in 

 this section is mostly "drift from the more elevated part 

 of the state and is usually light and easy to work. The 

 climate is mild and somewhat more equable than the 

 more inland sections of the state. The cheap trans- 

 portation facilities furnished by the navigable waters, 

 together with the mild climate and hght soil of this 

 section, has led to the development of truck-farming on 

 an extensive scale. This constitutes the chief agricul- 

 tural industry of the division. Parts of the three great 

 truck regions of the Atlantic seaboard he within this 

 division of the state, namely, the Norfolk, Baltimore 

 and Peninsula districts. 



Middle Virginia is geologically the oldest region of 

 the state and comprises 12,470 square miles of terri- 

 torj-. It is, on the whole, more elevated than Tidewater 

 iDut .seldom exceeds an elevation of more than 500 feet. 

 Horticultural crops are not extensively grown. Tobacco 

 is the main crop, while corn and wheat succeed on the 

 best types of soil. Bush-fruits do well in many parts of 

 this district, while sections favored by good soil and 

 proper elevation will produce good tree-fruits. 



The Piedmont division of Virginia lies at the foot of 

 the Blue Ridge and consists of a long, narrow belt of 

 land varying in width from 30 to 40 miles and extend- 

 ing from the northern to the southern boundary of the 

 state. It comprises 8,680 square miles of territory. 

 The major part of this division varies in elevation from 

 .500 to 1,000 feet above sea-level, although some of the 

 detached mountain spurs lying wthin this district 

 are much higher. The soils of Piedmont are highly 

 variable but on the whole are well adapted to fruit- 

 growing and grain-farming, while ia the northern part 

 of Piedmont, grazing is made possible by the presence 

 of limestone soils and the natural growth of blue-grass. 



The Blue Ridge division comprises the narrow range 

 of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This division ha,s a 

 total area of 1,230 square miles. The northern two- 

 thircls is rough and precipitous except in the mountain 

 passes or gaps. The southern part, however, consists 

 of a broad elevated tableland and includes the coun- 

 ties of Floyd, Carroll and Grayson. The soil of this 

 part of the Blue Ridge section is not very different 

 from that of Piedmont. Fruit-growing throughout the 

 northern part of this section is confined largely to the 

 mountain gaps and is of the same general character as 

 that of Piedmont. Fruit-growing has not been exten- 

 sively developed in the southern part of this section, 

 owing to lack of proper tran.sportation facilities. When 

 this difficulty is met, there is hkely to be a develop- 

 ment in grooving winter apples on a large scale, because 

 of its high elevation. 



The Valley section of the state lies northwest of the 

 Blue Ridge and comprises a total area of 7,530 square 

 miles. This is the best grain-growing section of the 

 state. However, certain soils in this section are particu- 

 larly adapted to the growing of apples and other fruits, 

 and the development of commercial orcharding has been 

 on a rather large scale. Frederick County, in the north- 

 em part of this valley, grows more fruit than any other 

 one county in the state. Good fniit-land is to be found 

 throughout this great valley. This division is divided 



