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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



August 



also a great difference in the soils and 

 in the agriculture adapted to them. 

 The climate obviously has a wide 

 range and consequently a great ef- 

 fect upon the growing season and 

 upon the distribution of plants. Some 

 understanding of these differences is 

 necessary in studying the nectar re- 

 sources of the State. 



The rainfall is uniform and well 

 suited to plant development, and 

 some 1,800 to 1,900 species are to be 

 found, a great number with a wide 

 distribution through eastern North 

 America. The chief vegetation is 

 forest trees, and woodlands occupy 

 about one-third the area of the State, 

 with the smallest percentage in the 

 center. The effect of the differences 

 in altitude, climate and soil is strik- 

 ingly shown in the type of flora to be 

 found in the eastern and western 

 parts of the State. In the mountain 

 regions, species occur whose chief 

 range is northern United States, 

 while in the eastern part much of the 

 vegetation is related to that found in 

 the tidewater Carolinas and Virginia. 

 The Climate 



Weather records show a difference 

 of 82 days in the last occurrence of 

 frost between Garrett County in the 

 west and Worcester County in the 

 east. Also at Sunnyside, Garrett 

 County, the average date for the last 

 occurrence of 40 degrees comes 50 

 days after the last occurrence of 32 

 degrees. At Pocomoke, Worcester 

 County, the interval is only 9 days. 

 At the latter place, therefore, spring 

 comes quickly with warm nights, 

 while at Sunnyside it comes slowly, 

 with many cool nights. The usual 

 difference for the occurrence of 

 spring in the two places is about 5 

 weeks. At Baltimore, due to the tem- 

 pering influence of Chesapeake Bay, 

 spring comes 12 days earlier than at 

 Pocomoke, although the latter is 

 much further east and south. 



In the mountain region the winters 

 are quite cold and even, but in the 

 east great variations occur, especially 

 in the lower Midland and shore re- 

 gions. The records of the Weathe 

 Bureau station at Great Falls show a 

 range of temperature in December 

 from 68 degrees to degrees, and in 

 May from 96 degrees to 28 degrees. 



The soil survey of Montgomery 

 County, by Carter and Hull, gives a 

 mean temperature of 53.8 degrees for 

 the Piedmont, with the last killing 

 frost on May 12, and the first killing 

 frost in fall on October 3. 



The Eastern Shore 



Sandy loams and sands predomin- 

 ate in the northern and southeastern 

 counties, and clay soils are extensive 

 in the counties along the Bay. For- 

 ests occupy about one-fourth the 

 area, being most extensive in the 

 south, where coniferous trees abound. 

 Some of the purest stands of loblolly 

 pine in the United States occur here. 

 In the northern part deciduous trees 

 predominate and in parts of Cecil 

 CouTity chestnut and chestnut oak 

 form a large part of the forest area. 



The lighter soils ai-e well adapted 

 to truck crops, and great quantities 

 of vegetables are raised and shipped 

 to northern markets. In the south 

 considerable land is devoted to to- 

 matoes and melons. Fifty per cent 

 of the tomatoes grown in the United 

 States for canning purposes are 

 grown in Maryland, most of them in 

 this region. Smaller truck crops are 

 raised nearer Baltimore, strawberries 

 and sweet potatoes being noticeable 

 among them. On the deeper loams of 

 the central counties corn and wheat 

 are important. The peach crop from 

 the eastern shore is of considerable 

 importance, and the orchard industry 

 is rapidly growing in the lower 

 counties. 



The Western Shore 



On the Western Shore there is 

 much sandy loam of good quality. 

 Here it is that the early settlers be- 

 came so well established, especially in 

 the region known as Southern Mary- 

 land. Prior to 1865 much of this re- 

 gion was highly cultivated, tobacco 

 being the chief crop because of its 

 quick cash value. As fast as one piece 

 of land ran out, another clearing was 

 made and new land sowed, a practice 

 which resulted in soil depletion, and 

 for 40 years the region has been neg- 

 lected by man. In St. Mary's and 

 Charles Counties alone fully one-half 

 of the land is uncultivated. Forty- 

 two per cent of the area is in forests. 

 Tobacco is still grown extensively and 

 in some sections wheat and com are 



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The natural divisions of Maryland. 



important. There is no record in 

 Maryland, however, of nectar in any 

 amount being obtained from tobacco, 

 since in the cultural system used the 

 plants are cut before they bloom. In 

 Anne Arundel County strawberries 

 are an important crop, the most of 

 them being sold in the Baltimore mar- 

 ket. The sandy river necks south of 

 Baltimore produce quantities of mel- 

 ons, peas, beans, strawberries and 

 small fruits. 



The Lower Midland 

 The chief soils here are loams and 

 clays, and in nearly every county is 

 a narrow strip of peculiar formation 

 known as the Serpentine Barrens, 

 containing no lime or potash, but rich 

 in magnesium compounds. The re- 

 sulting flora is different from any 

 other in the State, but fortunately 

 this soil is quite limited. About one- 

 fourth the area is forested, but mostly 

 as small tracts scattered through a 

 highly cultivated farming country. 

 The largest acreage of improved land 

 in the State is found in this section. 

 Corn and wheat are the big crops, 

 and in Harford and Cecil Counties 

 considerable sweet corn, tomatoes 

 and other vegetables are raised for 

 canning purposes. Hay is important 

 in Baltimore, Carroll, Montgomery 

 and Harford Counties and consider- 

 able alsike clover is used in the seed 

 mixtures. Dairying is also important 

 in these counties, and white clover is 

 abundant. 



The Upper Midland 



In the Middletown and Hagerstown 

 Valleys clay loams predominate, over- 

 lying Shenandoah limestone. These 

 soils are excellent and clover thrives 

 wherever the lime is sufficiently avail-, 

 able. Sandy loams and sands are" 

 more abundant in the west. Here 

 the forested area is the least in the 

 State, amounting to only one-fifth of 

 the acreage, most of which is in Alle- 

 gany County. In this county 50 per 

 cent of the land is in forests. At one 

 time the Middletown Valley north of 

 Frederick was the richest agricultural 

 section in the United States. Corn 

 and wheat are the big crops. The 

 higher lands to the west, especially 

 around Hancock, are devoted to ex- 

 tensive apple orchards, one orchard 

 alone embracing 600 acres. Some 

 quince orchards are also found, and 

 at the northern end of the Blue Ridge 

 peaches have long been a noted prod- 

 uct. About Hagerstown considerable 

 acreage is used to grow crops for 

 canning purposes. 



The Mountain Region 



In the mountains the shales and 

 sandstones have worn down into 

 sandy loams and sands. The forests 

 are extensive and occupy fully two- 

 thirds of the entire area. The agri- 

 culture is, of course, limited, and the 

 most extensive industry is mining. 

 Sheep are grazed in numbers, and 

 seed potatoes are becoming an im- 

 portant crop. In the cool nights and 

 wai»m days buckwheat does well and 

 is raised to quite an extent. 

 Distribution of Two Principal Honey 

 Plants 



A discussion of Maryland's chief 

 honey plants, clover (Trifolium re- 

 pent and T. Hybridum), and tulip-' 



