Influence of Bodies of Water. 41 



land if they are very deep. This is admirably illus- 

 trated in the slender lakes of central New York, 

 about which the fruit-growing has disposed itself. 

 The distance to which the ameliorating influence of 

 the water may extend is determined very largely by 

 the conformation of the shore lands. As a rule, there 

 are distinct slopes towards the water, and it is rare 

 that the effect of the water upon the temperature 

 extends beyond the crest of the elevation. As a 

 matter of fact, when the elevation is three hundred 

 feet or more high, the region of immunity from frost 

 ordinarily does not extend more than two -thirds of 

 the distance to the summit. Along the central New 

 York lakes, the area of the tender fruits, like grapes, 

 does not reach more than half a mile, and at the 

 utmost a mile, from the water. The famous Chau- 

 tauqua grape -belt is confined to a strip about two 

 to three miles wide lying upon Lake Erie, and reach- 

 ing an elevation at its landward margin of less than 



also during the 13th, as the storm center lingered over the northeastern coast. 

 The fall of temperature at this Station from noon of the llth to the 12th was 

 40 degrees, and by the 13th, 50 degrees. 



"This cold wave appears to have differed from ordinary frosts in the follow- 

 ing particulars : Frosts commonly occur on clear, calm nights, when the cold 

 air sinks to the valley bottoms ; but in this case the weather was cloudy or 

 partly cloudy, and strong westerly winds prevailed. The valleys, being pro- 

 tected from the wind, lost less of the soil warmth stored up during the pre- 

 ceding week than the higher and more exposed localities, which suffered most. 

 The temperature fell to 32 degrees or below over northern and central New 

 York generally on the llth, 12th and 13th, and probably we were saved from 

 disastrous frost in the valleys and sheltered localities only by the warmth of 

 the soil. 



"I may add that the high-pressure area in the central states brought severe 

 killing frosts near Lake Michigan and the central valleys on the 9th and 10th. 

 With us there was the added feature of the high winds, due to the storm area 

 as described. " 



