4: Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



in the proper places, but certain general requirements may 

 be mentioned here. 



a. Length of season. The warm season should be suffi- 

 ciently long to properly mature the fruit or fruits it is de- 

 sired to grow. The quality of fruits depends more or less 

 upon their receiving a given amount of solar heat during 

 the growth period. Thus the grape only attains its high- 

 est quality when grown in a warm climate. Conversely, 

 the season may be too long and warm for the highest 

 quality and best keeping of a given fruit, as is true of the 

 apple in southern United States. 



b. Freedom from damaging frosts. This depends more 

 upon local environment than upon latitude. Altitude, as- 

 pect and proximity to bodies of water should receive the 

 most careful attention in locating the fruit plantation.* 



c. Shelter from prevailing winds. A location that is 

 sheltered from the prevailing winds by natural barriers, as 

 elevations of ground or forests, is preferable to one not 

 thus sheltered, especially for the tree fruits. In otherwise 

 favorable locations, damage from winds may be in part 

 averted by growing a wind-break on the side of the plan- 

 tation toward the prevailing; winds. '(10.) t 



2d. The market conditions. The market, to the com- 

 mercial fruit grower, means the party or parties that buy 

 the fruits, and has no necessary relation to the place where 

 the fruits are consumed. Sometimes the buyer goes to the 

 farm and buys the fruit, even before it is mature; at other 

 times the fruit is shipped a long distance — perhaps across 

 the ocean — before it finds a buyer. The transaction may 



* The relation of these conditions to aiinaging frosts is considered in detail 

 in " Principles of Plant Culture." 



+ A number in parenthesis in the text refers to another paragraph that gives 

 further information on the same subject. 



