SELECTION OF SITE 7 



somewhat overcome by watching the fruit carefully, picking at the 

 correct time, and placing the apples in cold storage immediately. 



6. Mealiness and premature dropping. These are caused by 

 the fruit being overripe. 



As a general rule the deduction from the extremes of heat and 

 cold may be summed up in the following pertinent remarks : For 

 winter varieties a departure of 2 degrees or more in either direction 

 from their normal requirements will produce something quite notice- 

 able. This is less true of fall varieties, and even less for summer 

 sorts. In short, the earlier the variety the greater the temperature 

 range without decided deterioration of the fruit. 



Exposure. Just what is meant by the term " exposure " as 

 applied to an apple orchard ? According to Webster, exposure 

 means " the position in regard to the points of the compass or to 

 influences of climate and so forth," " accessibility to anything that 

 may affect" ; for example, a northern exposure, that is, open to 

 the north winds. 



A farmer would define exposure as " the slope of the land " (as 

 a western slope, a southern slope, etc.). This is undoubtedly correct. 

 Most authorities claim that a northern hillside or gradual slope is 

 best because it is the coolest, the western next, the eastern next, 

 and the southern the least desirable of all, because it forces the 

 trees into early blooming. The majority of fruit growers in the East 

 prefer the northern slope for apples, owing to the fact that, being 

 cooler, it retards the growth of the trees in the spring, making the 

 blooms less liable to injury, so that it compensates for the greater 

 freedom from frost with which the southern side is favored. 



It is not good policy to locate an orchard in a pocket made by 

 hills or on a level valley floor. Always select a gradual, sloping 

 hillside. Even a low hill will be satisfactory. 



The author carried on a survey upon a large farm one year 

 during the fall and spring to ascertain just the correct location for 

 an orchard. This survey consisted in placing ten self-registering 

 thermometers at different points on the farm on stakes, trees, etc. 

 All these places seemed to offer some advantages for the location 

 of an orchard. By carefully watching the thermometers morning 

 and night and keeping a record the best of these locations was de- 

 termined. It is the opinion of some practical orchardists that this 



