8 BULLETIN" 140, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of southern New England is rigorous, but the seasons 

 are of sufficient length for the securing of good crops, and seem 

 especially favorable for a long list of varieties of apples. It is 

 essential, of course, with all field crops, to select varieties that will 

 mature in the prevailing length of season, but the yields obtained 

 clearly demonstrate that this is no handicap. In fact, the range of 

 crop varieties available is distinctly favorable. This is undoubtedly 

 due in part to the long-continued line of horticulturists and seedsmen 

 in the region who have been interested in varietal development, but 

 the fact that the climate is suitable for a wide range of varieties, 

 especially of horticultural varieties, is unquestionable. This is evi- 

 denced by the fact that 134 varieties have been listed by the United 

 States Department of Agriculture 1 as having originated in Massachu- 

 setts. Prof. Beach, in " The Apples of New York," mentions 27 of 

 these varieties, of which the following 5 may be termed commercial : 

 Baldwin, Hubbardston, Roxbury, Sutton, and Williams. Connecti- 

 cut is credited with 88 varieties, 1 of which one, the Twenty-ounce, is 

 in the commercial list. It may be added for the sake of comparison 

 that New York is credited with a far greater number, 176 varieties, 1 

 but of these only 6 are commercial, viz: Fall Pippin, Jonathan, 

 Yellow Newtown, Northern Spy, Tompkins King, and Wagener. 

 Rhode Island is credited with only 9 varieties, 1 but two of these are 

 commercial — the Rhode Island Greening and the Tolman Sweet. A 

 number of secondary varieties have also originated in most of these 

 States, some of almost commercial importance and other highly 

 desirable for family use. 



To the peach growers of Connecticut the climatic conditions 

 within that State are of much importance. No section is free from 

 frost injury or occasional winter injuring due to low temperatures, 

 but accumulated experience has led to the establishment of most 

 of the commercial peach orchards along the lateral slopes of the Cen- 

 tral Lowland belt or on local elevations within it. In the southern 

 part of the State also, at elevations below 600 feet, occasional com- 

 mercial orchards give excellent results, but the largest of these have 

 been established by men of experience on good local elevations at 

 least a few miles back from the shore. The loss of fruit from 

 strong onshore winds seems to account for the last precaution. 

 In the northeastern part of the State, at medium to higher ele- 

 vations, peaches are grown with moderate financial success, but 

 the average climatic risk is a little greater; only the occasional 

 man engages in it, and even then usually as a money crop rather 

 than as a main business. There is a general feeling, too, that the 

 soils are somewhat less favorable for peaches than in the Central 



1 Bui. 56, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept. of Agr. 



