RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS, one of the New England States, situated between lat. 41° 18' and 42° 3' N., and between long. 71° 8' and 71° 53' W.; bounded on the north and east by Massachu setts, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Connecticut. The extreme length of the State from north to south is 48 miles, and the extreme width from test to west is 36 miles. The area is 1,248 square miles, of which 1067 square miles, including the island, are laud surface. The larger part of the State is hilly, but the general elevation is not great; the highest point, Durfee Hill, in the north west of Providence County, having an altitude of 805 feet. The large inlet known as Narra gansett Bay, ranging in width from 12 to 3 miles, and with lesser bays and inlets branching from it, extends 28 miles inland in a northerly direction. It includes a number of islands, Rhode Island, Conanicut and Prudence Island being the largest. Rhode Island is 15 miles long and about three miles wide, and on it is situated the city of Newport. Block Island lies nine miles from the coast. It is a hilly ex panse of verdure-clad sand rising boldly from the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Salt Pond which was formerly enclosed within the island is now an open harbor, and other important improve ments have been effected, malting the island much more accessible and secure for steam and sailing vessels. The rivers of Rhode Island are small, but they supply much of the nower used by great industrial establishments. The Black stone, Pawtuxet, Wanasquatucket, Moshassuck and West River all in the northern part of the State flow into the Providence River, which in turn empties into Narragansett Bay. It is navigable for trans-Atlantic steamers to Provi dence. All the streams are rapid for the greater part of their course, and on some of 'them large dams have been built as reservoirs for the mills. These and the natural ponds add greatly to the picturesque effect of the scenery.
Climate.-- The climate is mild, as compared with that of the greater part of New England. The mean temperature for January is 36° and for July 76°, and the humidity aver ages between 80 and 95 per cent throughout the year. The rainfall ranges from 40 inches in the northern part of the State to nearly 50 inches on the coast.
Geology and Minerals.— In the western part of the State the surface is chiefly com posed of Archaean rocks, which in some places, as at Rocky Point, jut prominently into the bay. The bed of the bay itself, with its islands and a large part of both shores, is composed of deposits from the Carboniferous period, but in the great terrestrial disturbances which followed that period, the coal strata in the vicinity of Narragansett Bay underwent changes which greatly affected their value for use as fuel.
Coal was discovered at Philipsdale, East Provi dence, some years ago. It is claimed that the mine contains good hard coal and can be worked profitably. A coal mine is also located • in Cranston, near Providence, which has been worked at intervals for many years, but never far from the surface. Excellent granite quarries are worked in different parts of the State, especially at Westerly, whence granite has been supplied for many notable monuments and buildings throughout the United States. Considerable deposits of magnetic iron ore are known to exist along the western edge of the Carboniferous strata, and limestone is abundant in some parts of the State. In 1915 the total value of the mineral output (graphite, lime, building stone, etc.) was $855,007, as compared with $777,716 in 1914.
Agriculture.— Extensive farming is not carried on in Rhode Island. Much of the land has been taken for factory sites, villages and small settlements; while the growth of the cities and large towns has absorbed much suburban property, which was formerly under cultivation. As in other States many farms are occupied by persons who do not cultivate them to any great extent; farmers who do get a living from their land generally keep cows and from these derive much, if not all, of their income; and this accounts for the fact that hay and forage form a most important crop. The acreage de voted to this is about 60,000 acres. Corn and potatoes together occupy about one-quarter of this acreage. In Cranston are found some of the largest market garden farms in the United States. Poultry raising is carried on along the most approved scientific lines and yields hand some returns. The State has in all about 5,300 farms, with an area of 443,308 acres, of which 178,344 acres are improved. In 1913 the value of all farm property was $32,990,739. Farm land per acre averaged $63.01. In 1917 the acrc.ig,.. planted to coat v.as 13,000, from which were produced 546,000 bushels valued at $1,289, 000; in the same year 2,000 acres were planted to oats, yielding 62,000 bushels valued at 000 ; 5,000 acres to potatoes yielding 675,000 bushels valued at $1,181,000; 60,000 acres to hay, yielding 90,000 tons, valued at $1,827,000; a total of 80,000 acres in corn, oats, potatoes and hay, yielding an aggregate product valued at $4,343,000. Vegetables other than potatoes arc raised to the value of $700,000 annually.