Westchester County 



789 



such quantities as to give employment at one time, when this com- 

 merce was at its height, to six market sloops, while three passenger 

 boats also shared in the business. 



Several nurseries in the county produce ornamental trees. 



CLIMATE AND RAINFALL 



Westchester County climatological records are taken from the 

 Bedford Hills station, which has an elevation of 425 feet. The 

 present observer is Dr. B. Stivelman. 



Average dates for the last killing frost in spring and the first in 

 fall are May 1 and October 11, respectively, giving a growing 

 season of 163 days. 



The following table covers the period 1894 to 1918, with the 

 exception of the average precipitation, the record of which began 

 three years earlier : 



Records of Temperature and Precipitation at Bedford Hills 





Temperature 





Precipitation 



a 







Hig 



lest 



Lowest 





Amount in 24 







Aver- 

 age 



maximum 



minimum 



Average 

 inches 



hoi 



Greatest 



record, 



inches 



rs 

 Year 



Snow, 





Degrees 



Year 



Degrees 



Year 



depth 

 in inches 



January 



2S.0 



65 



1916 



—17 



1904* 



3.76 



2.52 



1914 



8 3 



February 



25.8 



60 



1903 



—15 



1908 



3.78 



3.98 



1896 



11 9 



March 



36.9 



85 



1910 



.0 



1916 



3.72 



2.35 



1909 



7.5 



April 



47.7 

 59.2 

 62.2 

 72.7 

 70.6 



96 

 94 

 99 

 102 

 98 



1915 



1896* 



1913* 



1911* 



1918* 



13 



26 

 32 



42 



41 



1904 

 1907 

 1917 

 1898 

 1895 



3.70 

 4.19 

 3.48 

 4.24 

 4.84 



4.43 

 4.72 

 2.49 

 2.94 

 5.65 



1901 

 1897 

 1899 

 1899 

 1901 



4.6 



May 





June 





July 





August 





September .... 



63.6 



96 



1895 



30 



1904 



3.07 



3.09 



1894 





October 



53.1 



90 



1908 



16 



1894 



3.82 



4.39 



1913 



T 



November .... 



41.3 



76 



1895 



10 



1904 



3.50 



3.29 



1896 



2.8 



December .... 



32.4 



66 



1914 



—12 



1896 



3.84 



2.23 



1909 



6.0 



Year 



49.5 



102 



1911* 



—17 



1904* 



45.94 



4.72 



1897 



41.1 







* Also earlier years. 



TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS 

 The shore rises abruptly from the river to elevations seldom 

 less than 100 feet. While the rise is often quite steep, in no place 

 does it resemble the palisade formation on the western shore. 

 Beyond the ridges the land has a uniform, gentle descent into 

 valleys which permit convenient and rapid travel in all directions. 



