REMARKS 



The warm weather which started in March continued through 

 the first half of April but the latter half of the month has been near 

 normal. The mean temperature for the month, however, was 51.8 

 degrees which is 6.8 degrees higher than normal. The high mean 

 temperature of 51.8 degrees has been exceeded only once in April 

 since 1889; that was in 1941 when the mean was 52.1 degrees. The 

 highest temperature was 86 degrees on the 13th, The lowest tem- 

 perature was 26 degrees on the 23rd, causing general damage to 

 the fruit crop. 



The domestic heating load was 406 degree-days compared to 

 a normal of 579 degree-days. The heating load for the season to 

 the end of April is 6221 degree-days, the normal for that period 

 being 6511 degree-days. 



The rainfall during the month was 5.43 inches with no snow. 

 The normal precipitation for April is 3.35 inches with 2.17 inches 

 of snow. There were 258 hours of bright sunshine which is 38 hours 

 more than normal. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw makes the following report on the progress of 

 vegetation: "The fear of cold injury expressed last month proved 

 well founded. Temperatures appropriate to March came along in 

 April and there has been severe damage to fruit crops. Apple 

 bloom was not as heavy as expected but there was enough for a 

 good crop. We had a narrow escape on April 6 and 7 when tem- 

 peratures approached the danger point but caused little if any in- 

 jury. Then on the morning of April 23 there was severe and wide- 

 spread damage. There was less difference in orchards on different 

 elevations than there was from the freeze of May 19, 1944. Injury 

 was more general and more severe. From 80 to 90 percent of the 

 flowers on all tree fruits in our orchards were killed. This seems to 

 include all that were open at the time. Some of the unopened buds 

 were killed and others survive. Ordinarily such buds do not pro- 

 duce much good fruit but being relieved of the competition from the 

 earlier openmg flowers they may mature good fruits. The continued 

 low temperatures that prevailed through April are unfavorable to 

 bee flight and to fertilization of the blossoms. From one to three 

 weeks must pass before we can tell how many of these flowers will 

 produce fruits. The little embryonic peaches have not swelled fol- 

 lowing bloom as they usually do. This may be only a delay due 

 to continued cold weather or they may be ruined. In some parts 

 of this state more injury is reported to have occurred on April 24 

 but in Amherst the temperature was about 4° higher and little if any 

 additional injury took place. Apparently in Amherst orchards as 

 much or more than in any other section of the state there is still 

 a danger period of 2 or 3 weeks ahead of us. 



"Open strawberry flowers were killed but these were too few 

 to materially affect the crop. No distinct injury to bush fruits and 

 grapes has yet been determined. 



"The apple blossom period was the earliest and most prolonged 

 of any in the past 40 or more years and fully three weeks ahead 

 of normal. Last year the blooming period of all tree fruits lasted 

 scarcely over a week; this year it has continued for nearly a month 

 and some apple blossoms had not opened at the end of April. 



"Two successive years of cold damage to fruits has never be- 

 fore occurred in Massachusetts within the memory of the present 

 generation. There may be a good many bushels of apples and 

 other tree fruits in Massachusetts in 1945 but the crop must be re- 

 duced 50 percent and probably more — perhaps much more." 



