Of the Maritime Region west of Chesapeake Bay, the south-eastern portion is a flat oounlry which rises imperceptibly towards the south. The soil is a mixture of sand and clay, but less fertile than the eastern shore; its production. are the same. On some low tracts near the Dismal Swamp rice is grown, and this is the most northern point where that grain is cultivated on the Atlantic shore of the United States. The Dismal Swamp extends into Nonni CAROLINA. From the forests at the southern part of the Swamp a large quantity of lumber is obtained. Near the centre of the Swamp, in Virginia, Is Lake Drninniond, which extends about 7 miles in every direction, and varies in depth from 10 to 20 feet. The remainder of the Mari time Region hue a somewhat undulating surface, which towards is western limits of the region is diversified with hills. The soil s alluvial, but thin and poor. Some of the higher tracts are nearly destitute of vegetation and barren, and others are covered with forests of stunted pines, from which tar, pitch, and rosiu are extracted. The bottoms of the rivers have a deeper and richer soil, and produce good crops. Wheat is not much cultivated, but maize, oats, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are extensively grown ; tobacco is also cultivated. The orchards yield apples, pears, cherries, quinces, nectarines, apricots, almonds, plums, pomegranates, figs, peaches, and mulberries.
The climate of this low region, if compared with that of low countries on the cant of the Atlantic, is distinguished by great and sudden changes, which occur at all seasons except October and November. The winters are much colder than in any part of Europe south of the Alps, and also more severe than in the low countries north of the Alps. Frosts are frequent, and sometimes very severe, but generally of short duration. During July and August the heat is very great, the thermometer rising almost every year to 90°, and sometimes to 96' and 98°. The mean annual temperature is 56°. Though the number of rainy days is leas in this region than in England, the mean annual quantity of rain is much greater. Tho prevailing wind all the year round is the south-west; but in autumn and winter the wind blows from all quarters except the south, and southerly winds are at all seasons very rare. The change of the wind produces sudden changes in the temperature. Jefferson states that the ther mometer has descended 45 degrees in thirteen hours, from 92° to 47°, in consequence of a change of the wind.
2. The Upper Slope of the Atlantic extends from the western limit of the Maritime Slope to the Blue Ridge. From the base of the ridgo the country descends to the falls of the rivers in an inclined plane. Where the falls occur, a ledge of rocks extends across the state, rising from 100 to 200 feet above their base, which in most places is about 100 feet above the sea-level. The surface of this region presents only a comparatively small number of hills, from 800 to 500 feet high ; it generally extends in nndulating plains, which in many places have a gentle acclivity, but in others are broken and uneven, and between these plains are the deeper depressions, in which the rivers run. The
hills are generally not steep, but the soil is sometimes rocky, and not fit for cultivation. They are mostly overgrown with ash, beech, elm, hickory, chestnut, oak, and hemlock. The soil of the higher grounds between the bottoms of the rivers is sandy, but has in general a mode rato degree of fertility. The cultivated tracts yield moderate crops of wheat, maize, tobacco, and oats, and also rye and buckwheat. The orchards are extensive, and all the trees mentioned in the foregoing region succeed, except pomegranates and almonds. The forests, which still cover a considerable part of tho surface, are comprised of oak, hickory, gum, maple, logwood, and especially yellow pine. The bot toms along the watercourses are extensive along the large rivers : that of the James River is in general from two to three miles wide, and extends from Richmond to Lynchburg, 125 miles. Their soil is gene rally excellent, and produces good crops of wheat, maize, and oats, and the best sort of tobacco, which is extensively cultivated. Nearly all the cotton exported from Virginia is from this district. The hills which are dispersed over this region are mostly isolated and irregular ; but there extends over the wholo width of the state a series of hills and short ranges, nearly in a parallel line with the Blue Ridge, and at a distances of from 15 to 80 miles east of it. North of James River, which for mom than 80 miles flows along its eastern base, this hill; tract is called the South-West Mountain ; but towards the northern extremity it is called the Bull Run and Kittoetan Mountains. This chain rises from 800 to 1200 feet above the sea-level. The hills are covered with forests of oak, hickory, green maple, white and yellow poplar, black and white walnut, ash, sassafras, dogwood, chestnut, and chestnut-oak. The long valley which extends between these hills and the Blue Range is In general hilly; for several offsets of the Blue Ridge advance into it from 5 to 10 miles from the range, and it also contains many isolated hills. The soil generally consists of a good mould lying on a substratum of red clay. In the northern district it is lighter, and contains a good proportion of sand or gravel. The principal object. of agriculture are maize, wheat, rye, oats, and pota toes. In the southern districts much tobacco is grown, and hemp in several places. The orchards yield apples, peaches, cherries, plums, quinces, and grapes. The general level of this valley is from 500 to 700 feet above the sea, except towards the north, where it is lower. The mean annual temperature of this region is from three to six degrees lower than in the maritime region.
3. The Mountain Region of the Appalachians lies west of the upper region of the Atlantic Slope. It is described generally under