Vol. 16—1962 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

V.B:CETATIONCONTROL QNWESTERNMARYLAND RAILWAyl
R. R. Cunderson l
I could discuu the hie tory and the many virtues of the Western·
Maryland Railway Company at.relit length., be'cai1Wtllm a member of a
team'that has tremendous pride' In' ~u'r property.' H6We1ver, I fee I sure cbat
1
each of ,you are famttiar withwfllitT'biight uyalOq tlut line. I will ther*·'
fore confine my comft*nts to on.
i
of· the probleins'thit i8 of particular i~rest
to this group. OM· that many of u.'_hare. Spe~ineslY, I will o~tUneou:t~roblem
of controlling weed., gra .. aa4:bru*h, on'our"i'operties, ourobjeetive
in this regard, and what we ar4H:lomg about the prcMeM. ' " I..
I ~i ; r., \(
Our railroad originates, historically, in the tidewater area of the
great seaport of Baltimore, Maryland. Physiographically, our line traverses
the Piedmont area of central Maryland, cro .. es the Blue Ridge range of the
Appalachian Mountains and down through the South Branch Valley, an extension
of the Shenandoah Valley, westward thru Hagerstown, Maryland. We then
follow the Potomac River to Cumberland, Maryland, and its North Branch to
the headwaters, crossing the Allegany Mountainl and then following the Welt
slope of thil range thru E;lkinl, West Virginia, into the extenlive coal fields
to Weblter Springs and to Durbin, West Virginia. Our main line, weltward,
at Cumberland, pauel thru one of the natural gaps thru the mountain range
and climbl the East slope of the Allegany mountains for approximately twenty
miles. Croseing thil range, we dowly drop down the Weltern Slope of thele
mountains, following the Casselman and then the Youghiogheny Rivers, to
Connelliville, Pennlylvania. We vary in elevations from plus 4 at Baltimore
to 4,067, which, I believe, ie the highelt elevation reached by a Clase I
railroad east of the Mi8liseippl River. I thul delcribe the areas on our lines
merely to accentuate the variety encountered on our relatively small property.
The weed, grass and brulh probleml are almolt as varied al the physiographic
areas.
Climatic conditions are very favorable to plant life _ temperatures are
moderate and rainfall is plentiful. Average annual temperature is in the mid.
fifties, and annual rainfall varies from 35 to 43 lnches. Snowfall il heavy in
many areas, providing good protectlon to many dormant plants and seedl We
have abundant sunlhine and right at the height of the growing seal on, the 'month
of August, we allo have our wettelt month. These conditions produce excel.
lent farm cropl and fruit, but are not helpful in our effortl to control growth
of vegetation.
IEngineer Maintenance of Way, Western Maryland Railway Company