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 WEST

605

WEST VIRGINIA

ecclesiastical statistics see articles MtJNSTER and Paderborn.

ScHULZE, H eimntskunde tier Provinz Weslfalen (Minden, 1900); PRdMER. Unsere westfdlische Heimat (Leipzig, 1909) : Schuckinq AND Freiligrath, Das malerische u. romanlische Weslfalen (4th ed. Paderborn, 1898); Gemeindelexikoti von Preussen, X (Berlin, 1910); LuDOBFF, Die Ban und Kunstdenkmdler der Provim Wesl- falen, I-XXX (Munster, 1893-1910), with historical introduction; Weslfalisches Urkundenbuch. I-VI (Mttnster. 1847-98); Verdff- eiitlichungen der historischen Kommission far die Provim Weslfalen (10 vols., 1898-1908); Zeilschrifl far mterldndiache Geschichte und AUerskunde (Mttnster, 1838-1910); Weslfalen, I-III (Mttnster, 1909-1911), a periodical; von Steinen, WestpMlische Geschichle, I-V (Lemgo, 1755-1801); Kleinsorgen, Kirchengeschichle von Weslphalen, I-III (Mttnster, 1779-17S0); Zausch, Kirchen- gesehiehte der Provinz Weslfalen (Breslau, 1910); Schmitz-Kai^ LENBERG, Monastieon Weslfalice (Mttnster, 1908); Kampschulte, Geschichte der Einfiihrung dfs Prolestantisrmis im Bereiche der jetzigen Provim Weslfalen (Paderborn, 1866) ; Keller, Die Gegenrefornmlion in Weslfaleti u. am Niederrhein, I-III (Leipzig, 1881-95); Gocke, Das KOnigreich Weslfalen (DQsseldorf. 1888).

Klemens Loffleb. West Syrian Rite. Sec Syrian Rite, West.

West Virginia, a state of the American Union, bounded on the north-east by Pennsylvania and Mary- land, on the north-west by Ohio, on the south-east and south by Virginia, and on the south-west by Kentucky; it is situated between latitude 37° 36' and 40° 38' N., and between the meridians 77° 4,'j' and 82° 03' W. Its area is 24,780 square miles, of which 24,645 square miles is land and 135 square miles is water, containing 15,859,200 acres. The population, according to the U. S. Census of 1910, is 1,221,119. The principal cities are: Wheehng, 41,641; Hunting- ton, 31,161; Parkersburg, 17,742; Charleston, 22,- 926; Clarksburg, 9201.

Physical Characteristics. — West Virginia geo- griiphically belongs to the Mississippi Valley, and the principal rivers, which are the Sandy, Guyandotte, Big and Little Kan;Mvha, and the Monongahela, with its tributaries the Youghioghenj' and Cheat, are trib- utary to the Ohio River, which flows for 300 miles along this state.

This great watercourse puts West Virginia in direct communication with the trade of the Missis- sippi Valley, the Gulf of Mexico, and in fact with the markets of the far West. The Allegheny Ridge forms in this state the watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi Valley. West of the Alle- gheny Range and that of the Shen;indo;ih on the east, and the Greenbrier and Liuirrl Mountains on the west, are numerous short panillrl ridges of which the most important are Potts or Middle Warm Spring and .Jackson River Mountains. The most western of the.se continuous chains is the Laurel Ridge with its prolongations, the Greenbrier and Flat Top Moun- tains. Near the line of Randolph County the Greenbrier Mountains throw off a spur cast to the Allegheny Range, and from this extend numerous parallel ridges following the usual course of the moun- tain ch.ains of the .state and known as Rich, Middle Shavers, Cheat, and Valley Mountains. The Great Flat Top Mountain, as the south-western portion of this ridge is called, al.so throws out spurs north and north-we.st called the White Oak Mountain and Barker's Ridge. These mountain chains inclose many fertile valleys.

The prevailing ingredients of the soil are silica, ahiminium, pure clay, marl, lime, magnesia, .and iron, which the very unevcnne.ss of the surface tends to amalgamate to the greatest practical aflvantage. Thus the alluvial or bottom lands composed of the diluvium from adjacent and distant hills combine mechanically and chemically every kind of mineral and vegetable decomposition in the country. This soil, which varies in depth from three to forty feet, produces the largest timber .and heaviest crops, and, resting upon a substantial b.asis of dark loam and fer- tile clay, exceeds in reli.ability and endurance the black, rich, but thirsty and chaffy, soils of the Western

prairies. The second bottom is generally representa- tive of the rocks prevailing upon this level, with a strong .admixture of ( he stmta above brought down by the gr.adual l:uidslips ;ind the rains, and .accimiulated probably to a great extent before the present vege- t.ation took possession of the surface. On ascending, the soil is found gradually less mixed in substance and colour, the timber is less varied, and on steeper places loss thrifty. When the ridge is sharp and narrow, the bare rock is found but a few inches below and not sel- dom protruding above the surface; but when flat or gently inclined, as in a majority of cases, there is found a deep, arable .soil heavily coated with humus, and producing, with few exceptions, the iden- tical kinds of timber and crops found in the alluvial valley below. In those regions of the state where the table-lands are exceptionally met with, the surface presents undulating plains, w^hich, but for their timber, would recall to mind an Illinois prairie, reaching along the mountain summits for miles in length and breadth, with scarcely an elevation suf- ficiently great to divide the water. West Virginia is richly invested with timber, comprising many varieties of the oak .and fir, the hemlock, cedar, laurel, tulip-tree, the black and white walnuts, hickory, beech, sycamore, elm, m.aple, birch, white and moun- tain ash, besides the wild-fruit varieties peculiar to the surrounding states. It has been estim.ated that 11,300,000 acres, or nearly three-fourths of the super- ficial .area of the st.ate, are as yet unimproved, and of these a considerable proportion are still in the vigour and juvenescence of original growth.

There is a great diversity of chmate in West Vir- ginia. In the mountain regions the summers are never very warm, while the winters are extremely cold, the thermometer sometimes registering 25° below zero. Except in these mountain regions the clim.ate is generally free from the extremes of heiit and cold, rain and drought, and upon the whole one of the most agreeable .and .s.alubrious in the Union. The mean annual temperature is .about 50°; that of the winter 31°; spring 50°; summer 72°; autumn 54° Fahrenheit. The average rainfall is from 43 to 45 inches.

Resources. — Agricultural. — The production and v.ahie of leading crops in 1910 were as follows: hay, 810,000 tons, v.alue .S12,1.50,000; corn, 23,290,000 bu.shels, value, $16,220,000; wheat, 5,125,000 bushels, value, S5,228,000; o.ats, 2,520,000 bushels, value, $1,260,000; rye, 155,(X)0 bushels, value, $140,000; buckwheat, 575,000 bushels, value .$443,000; pota- toes, 3,772,000 bushels, value, $2,527,000; tobacco, 12,800,000 lbs., value, $1,318,000. The fruit crop aggregiited over $1,0(»,0 in value. Stock raising is also an important iiidiistry.

Mineral. — West Virginia is richly endowed with a high gr.ade of oil or crude petroleum. During the year 1909 the prodtiction was 10,745,092 barrels, Viilued at $17,042,283. This state is also very rich in high-grade coal, containing every variety except anthracite; during 1909 there were 51,466,010 tons mined, thus ranking second, after Pennsylvania, in the production of coal; coke was produced to the amount of 2,(137,132 short tons. In 1908 the pro- duction of natural gas was valued .at $14,.837,130; and