Rivers.- The drainage system of Georgia comprises nine basins. The Tennessee basin is drained by tributaries of the Tennessee River. The Mobile basin is drained into the Gulf of Mexico by the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers and their tributaries. The Apalachicola basin is drained by the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. These, uniting in the southwestern cor ner of Georgia, form the Apalachicola River which, flowing through Florida, empties into a bay of the same name, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. The Altamaha basin is drained by the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, which empty into the Altamaha, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The Ogeechee basin is drained by the Ogeechee River into the Atlantic Ocean through Ossabaw Sound. The Savannah basin is drained by the Savannah River and its tributaries into the At lantic Ocean. The Ocklockonee basin is drained by the river of that name into the Gulf of Mexico through Ocklockonee Bay. The Su wanee basin is drained by the river of that name into the Gulf of Mexico. Although the Suwanee runs for the greater part of its course through the State of Florida, it rises in south east Georgia, and two of its main tributaries, the Allapaha and Withlacoochee rivers, are streams of south-central Georgia. The Satilla and Saint Mary's basin is drained by the Satilla and Saint Mary's rivers. The Satilla is the more northern and enters the Atlantic through Saint Andrew's Sound. The Saint Mary's enters the Atlantic Ocean through Cumberland Sound. Between these rivers lies the noted Okefinokee swamp. Its numerous large rivers furnish the State with excellent water trans portation. Although the extensive railroad lines have built up in Georgia flourishing cities and towns remote from any water highway, yer those which are upon navigable streams enjoy the advantage of a competing water line. The Savannah is the most important river of Georgia for the reason that over 18 miles of its course is navigable for ocean vessels. The Savannah is navigable for river steamboats to Augusta, 230 miles to the north. The Chatta hoochee is navigable for steamboats from Co lumbus to the Apalachicola and through that stream to the Gulf of Mexico. Through its several steamboat lines Columbus has a con siderable river trade. The city of Rome in northwest Georgia has besides its several rail road lines a fine river trade through the Oostanaula and the Coosa. Steamboats carry to Rome the productions of the Coosa Valley, lumber, iron, grain and cotton, and the staple products of the Oostanaula valley. Albany, in southwest Georgia, enjoys an extensive steam boat traffic by the Flint River. The Saint Mary's River is navigable for the largest ves sels up to and beyond the town of that name, which is nine miles from the ocean. The Satilla and Ogeechee are each navigable for some dis tance, but their advantages have not been utilized to any considerable extent. Other navi gable waters of Georgia are the inlets and sounds flowing between the mainland and the islands that skirt the coast from the Savannah to the Saint Mary's rivers. Through Saint Simon's Sound the largest vessels pass up the Turtle River, a short but deep stream, to the city of Brunswick, the second in importance of the ports of Georgia, being, like Savannah, the centre of a fine fruit and trucking section. Every section of Georgia is drained by rivers of considerable size and is consequently a splendid agricultural country. Its numerous navigable streams, supplementing its great rail road systems, conspire to give its people unusual advantages for both internal and foreign commerce.
nine climate belts in the United States eight are represented in Georgia. The lowest of these eight belts in mean annual temperature is below 40°, the highest between 70° and 75°. The climate of less than 40° mean annual temperature is found only on some of the mountain peaks. On the sides of these mountains below the summit the mean annual temperature is between 40° and 45°, correspond ing with upper New England and New York and the mountain region of Virginia. There is a still larger climate zone of between 45° and 50° which corresponds with that to be found in portions of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The zone of between 50° and 55° em braces a narrow strip which runs northward through North Carolina and Virginia up to New Jersey. The zone between 55° and 60° of mean annual temperature contains an area two - - or three times as large as all the preceding zones together and, passing through both Caro linas, ends in Virginia. The zone between 60° and 65° embraces nearly all of middle Georgia, corresponding with that of upper Alabama, Mis sissippi, Louisiana, Texas, west Tennessee and Arkansas, and extends into Virginia. The mean annual temperatures at some of the important stations in this area are: Rome, 61.9; Gaines ville, 61.3; Atlanta, 61.4; Carrollton, 62; Ath ens, 63; Augusta, 64; LaGrange, 64.1; Thom
son. 64.7.
The climate of southern Georgia is between 65° and 70° of mean annual temperature and corresponds with that of southern Texas, Louisi ana, Mississippi and upper Florida. At Ma con it is 66.1° ; Cuthbert, 68.1° ; Americus, 68.2'; Brunswick, 68.7°. Blackshear with 70.2° is the only station touching the zone between 70° and 75°. For the whole State the mean temperature for July is The isothermal line of 80°, July temperature, runs above Au gusta and Macon to West Point. Above this line embracing the greater portions of north and middle Georgia the July temperature is be tween 75° and 80°. Below this line, embracing the greater part of east Georgia and nearly all of southeast and southwest Georgia, the July temperature is between 80° and 8.5°. The climate of Atlanta, situated as it is on a ridge 1,050 feet above sea-level, corresponds with that of Washington, Saint Louis and Louisville, the winters being warmer and the summers cooler. Snow seldom falls in southern Georgia, and then rarely to a depth of more than two inches. In middle Georgia the fall of snow is a little more frequent and to a greater depth, while both its frequency and depth are greatly in creased in the mounta:n region. The annual average rainfall of Georgia is 49.3 inches, the highest being at Rabun Gap, 71.7 inches, the lowest at Swainsboro, 39.4 inches. Atlanta's annual rainfall is 52.12 inches. The average for different sections of the State is: Middle Georgia, 49.7 inches; east Georgia, 41.4 inches and northwest Georgia, 60.3 inches. The sum mer rainfall averages: For north Georgia, 13.6 inches; for southwest Georgia, 14.5 inches, and for the entire State, 13.4 inches. The sum mer rainfall averages at different localities: Rome, 10.2 inches; Atlanta, 10.8 inches; Rabun Gap, 15.4 inches; Americus, 16 inches; Bruns wick, 16.6 inches.
Agriculture.— The northwestern section of Georgia presents a great variety of surface and soil. The slopes of the mountains and hills are well suited for the grazing of stock, and abundance of land, either rolling or entirely level in the valleys, is adapted to the raising of vegetables, fruits, corn, wheat, rye, oats, bar ley, buckwheat, cowpeas, clover, timothy, or chard grass, Bermuda, Johnson, crab, red top and many other grasses useful for hay and pasturage. Cotton also is a profitable crop as far north as Floyd County, above which very little of this crop is raised. Some of the chief fruits are peaches, apples, pears, cherries, all kinds of berries and grapes of every variety. The forest timbers are oaks of several varieties, pines of two varieties, also the poplar, ash, beech, elm, chestnut, hickory, maple, walnut, iron wood, sugar berry, sycamore, sweet-gum, dogwood, persimmon, sassafras, wild cherry, rosebud, warhoo, cedar and buckeye. In north east Georgia but little over 12 per cent of the land is under cultivation, because this part of the State is thinly inhabited; but many of the tillable lands have a very rich, dark red soil. Little Tennessee Valley in Rabun County and Nacoochee Valley in White County are noted for fertility, bearing all kinds of crops, fruits and grasses. About 75 per cent of the whole area known as middle Georgia is under cultivation. The central cotton region of the State includes the southern part of middle and large areas of southern Georgia. This region embraces the sand and pine hills belt, the red hills belt and the yellow loam region. The first of these covers about 3,000 square miles, the other two about 12,000 square miles. Large crops of corn and cotton are raised throughout this area ex cept in the sand hills belt. In the long-leaf pine region there are 17,000 square miles and here the vast forests of long leaf pine have been a great source of wealth to the State, but less now than formerly. Wherever the timber lands are cleared, they are being put under cultivation. The marls and swamp muck found in this section, when mixed, form a cheap and excellent fertilizer. The pine and palmetto flats around Okefinokee swamp furnish large quantities of long leaf pine, cypress and saw palmetto, while along the creek-bottom and hummock lands are found these same trees, black-gum, tupelo-gum, titi and maple. The coast region, about 2,045 square miles, includes the savannas, live-oak lands and islands. The coast lands from the Savannah to the Saint Mary's River are noted for magnificent live oaks, also red and water oaks, red cedar, hick ory, chinquapin, sassafras, cabbage and the blue palmetto. Along the coast lands rice is culti vated, and the Georgia sea islands produce the larger part of the finest cotton known to com merce. All over middle and southern Georgia grows the sugarcane, richer in saccharine mat ter than any other known plant from which sugar is extracted.