272 POMOLOGY 



As to the moisture of the soil, Hedrick reports that 

 "Either extreme of moisture — excessive wetness or excessive 

 dryness — gives favorable conditions for winter-killing. A 

 wet soil is conducive to sappiness in the tree and also freezes 

 deeply." It was also reported that a very dry soil failed to 

 furnish the trees with sufficient moisture during winter and 

 the buds and twigs died out and serious winter-killing 

 followed.^ 



241. Proximity to bodies of water. — The proximity of 

 an orchard to a large body of water has a greater effect on 

 the frost injury in the spring than on winter injury. How- 

 ever, an effect on the latter is not infrequently noted. A 

 conspicuous example of this is seen in the fruit sections bor- 

 dering on the various lakes. "The distance to which the 

 influence of a body of water will extend inland depends upon 

 the volume of water, its temperature relative to that of 

 the land, the area of its free surface, the slope of its shores, 

 and the prevailing winds. The influence of Lake Michigan, 

 mainly because of the gentle slope of its eastern shore, ex- 

 tends nearly halfway across the state of Michigan, while 

 the influence of Lake Erie, because of the abrupt rise of its 

 eastern shore, extends inland only a few miles." " 



Many examples could be noted of peach orchards favor- 

 ably located near lakes that are injured only in the most 

 severe winters, while sections within a few miles frequently 

 suffer a loss of the crop in whole or in part. However, the 

 vagaries of winter injury seem endless, and many instances 

 might also be cited where such an influence has not been 

 noted. ^ 



1 See also Paddock, W. Colo. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 142. 1909. p. 11. 



2 Standard Cyclo. Hort., Bailey. Vol. 3, p. 1284. (W. M. Wilson.) 

 ^ For several years the author noticed the difference in date of bloom- 

 ing of apple trees near the Atlantic coast line of New Hampshire and 

 inland, showing a decided retarding effect of the cold winds of spring 



