RESPONSE OF FRUIT PLANTS TO CONDITIONS OF SOIL 73 



Table 35. — Yearly Rainfall and Exports op Palm Oil from Lagos'" 



red, ripe, succulent and rich with oil, or starved, yellow, and destitute wholly or 

 partially of oil, according to the amount of moisture afforded to the tree during 

 the time the fruit has been maturing, "^o Three things are of particular interest 

 in connection with the behavior of the palm oil tree in Lagos: (1) Moisture affects 

 yield mainly through influencing the frequency of flowering and fruiting. (2) 

 The chemical composition of the fruit is greatly modified. (3) Variations in 

 rainfall are as likely to influence fruit production the succeeding season as during 

 the current j^ear. This is explained by the existence of two seasons of heavy 

 rainfall — one early and one late. If the excess or the deficiency is mainly in the 

 latter period, its influence is more evident in production the following calendar 

 year. More attention is devoted to this phase of the question under Residual 

 Effects of Soil Moisture. 



Shape and Color. — The influence of soil moisture on the color and 

 shape of fruit is of little importance relatively but it is none the less of 

 interest. In Oregon it was found that with the use of increasing amounts 

 of irrigation water apples tended to become more angular and elongated^^ 

 and the same phenomenon has been noted in irrigated orchards in Idaho. ^^4 

 Many observations have indicated that apples in a very dry soil are 

 flatter than those of the same variety grown near by but in a somewhat 

 better watered medium. In irrigation experiments with peaches in 

 Utah, poor color was associated with a small amount of water and high 

 coloration with abundant and particularly with late, watering.^^ A 

 brighter red color was found on Esopus apples that were well irrigated, as 

 compared with a darker and duller red on fruit of the unirrigated or 



