Maryland

The portion of the State lying within the Appalachian region is commonly known as western Maryland. To the eastward it abounds in mountains and valleys, but in the extreme western por tion is a rolling plateau. West of Catoctin mountain (1,80o ft.) is Middletown valley with Catoctin creek running through it from north to south and the Blue Ridge mountains (2,400 ft.), near the Pennsylvania border, forming its west slope. Farther west the serrated crests of the Blue Ridge overlook the Greater Appalachian valley, here 73 m. in width, the broad gently-rolling slopes of the Great Cumberland or Hagerstown valley occupying its eastern and the Appalachian ridges its western portion. Through the east ern portion Antietam creek to the east and Conococheague creek to the west flow in meandering trenches that in places exceed 75 ft. in depth. The Appalachian ridges of the western portion begin with North mountain on the east and end with Wills mountain on the west. They reach a maximum height in Martin's ridge of more than 2,000 feet. Overlooking them from the west are the higher ranges of the Alleghenies among which the Savage, Back bone and Negro mountains reach elevations of 3,00o ft. or more. In the extreme western part of the State these mountains merge as it were into the rolling Appalachian plateau, having an average ele vation of 2,500 feet. All rivers of western Maryland flow south into the Potomac except in the extreme west where the waters of the Youghiogheny and its tributaries flow north into the Monongahela, a tributary of the Ohio.

Climate.

The climate of Maryland in the south-east is in fluenced by ocean and bay, while in the west it is influenced by the mountains. The prevailing winds are westerly but generally north-west in winter in the west section and south-west in summer in the south section. In the south the normal winter is mild, the normal summer rather hot ; in the west the normal winter is cold, the normal summer cool. The normal average annual temperature for the entire State is between and F, ranging from 48° at Grantsville in the north-west to 53° at Darlington in the north east, and to 57° at Princess Anne in the south-east. The normal annual precipitation for the State is about 43 inches.

Soils.

The great variety of soils is one of the more marked features of Maryland. On the eastern shore to the north is a marly loam overlying a yellowish-red clay subsoil, to the south is a soil quite stiff with light-coloured clay, while here and there, especially in central and southern Maryland, are considerable areas both of light sandy soils and tidal marsh loams. On the western shore the soils range from a light sandy loam in the lower levels south from Baltimore to rather heavy loams overlying a yel lowish clay on the rolling uplands and on the terraces along the Potomac and the Patuxent. Crossing the State along the lower

edge of the fall line is a belt heavy with clay, but so impervious to water as to be of little value for agricultural purposes. The soils of the Piedmont plateau east of Parr's ridge are, like the under lying rocks, exceptionally variable in composition, texture and colour. For the most part they are considerably heavier with clay than are those of the Coastal plain, and better adapted to general agricultural purposes. West of Parr's ridge in the Piedmont the principal soils are those the character of which is determined either by decomposed red sandstone or by decomposed limestone. In the east portion of the mountainous region the soil, so well adapted to peach culture, contains much clay together with par ticles of Cambrian sandstone. In the Hagerstown valley are rich red or yellow limestone-clay soils. The Allegheny ridges have only a thin stony soil but good limestone, sandstone, shale and alluvial soils occur in the valleys and in some of the plateaux of the extreme west.

Government.

The present State Constitution was adopted in 1867 and has been frequently amended, this requiring merely a three-fifths vote of all of the members elected to each of the two houses of the general assembly, followed by a majority of the votes cast when submitted to the State electorate. It is further provided that once in 20 years, beginning with 193o, the wish of the people in regard to calling a convention for altering the Con stitution shall be ascertained by a poll. The law provides for direct primary elections.

The chief executive authority is vested in a governor elected by popular vote for a term of four years. Since becoming a State Maryland has had no lieutenant-governor except from 1864 to 1867. The office of governor is to be filled in the case of a vacancy by such person as the general assembly may elect; the president of the senate serving as governor in the meanwhile. No veto power whatever was given to the governor until 1867, when, in the pres ent Constitution, it was provided that no bill vetoed by him should become a law unless passed over his veto by a three-fifths vote of the members elected to each house.

In 1922, in consequence of a plan prepared by Governor Albert C. Ritchie, the administrative branch of the State Government was completely reorganized by consolidating more than So State agencies, according to their functions, into 18 major departments and commissions. This reorganization plan has saved several hun dred thousand dollars annually in the operation of the government of the State and the various local subdivisions thereof. A merit system was established for the selection of State employees and in 1936 85% of all State employees were in the classified service.