French Commercial Production of Specified Deciduous Fruit During 1967 
Region Apricots Cherries Peaches Plums 
1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 
shorttons short tons short tons short tons short\tons short tons 
Aguitainet dominoes oe tee ne 131 0 6 9 26 9 
Midi Pyrenees 2204 eee nce 254 i 10 16 17 16 
Mancuedoc cerprorevancictoreroherereleiclelens ais 169 95 18 113 34 5 
RhGnevAlpes: fo eee oe 92 5 23 134 62 4 
Provence-Céte d’ Azur-Corsica ...... 232 13 31 81 113 6 
Other Siero ne toe 697 = 31 90 118 42 
— 
TotaliBranceas4 car eens 1,575 113 119 443 370 82 
1T ess than 500 tons, 
Climate is typically Mediterranean in the Languedoc region. Winters are mild, and summers are not excessively 
hot. Rainfall is heavy during the fall, light in the spring, and minor during the summer. In Pyrénées-Orientales 
monthly temperatures at Perpignon—the largest area of population—range from an average low of 39° F. in January 
to an average high of about 84° F. during July. The temperature falls below freezing about 13 days each year. 
Annual rainfall averages 24.7 inches, and localized hailstorms are frequent between April 15 and August 15. In 
Nimes (Gard) temperatures average about 44 degrees during the winter, 56 degrees in spring, 72 degrees in summer, 
and 58 degrees during the fall. Weather bureau reports indicate an annual average of 4 days snowfall and 32 days of 
below-freezing temperatures. Annual rainfall averages 29 inches. Montpellier temperatures (Hérault) range from a 
monthly low of 34 degrees in January to a high of about 84 degrees in July, and rainfall averages 27 inches. Fre- 
quent drying windstorms are prevalent in the Lanquedoc region. The mistral, a strong, dry, cold wind, blows from the 
north and northwest off the Massif Central Mountains for periods of 3 to 5 days at a time. 
Pyrénées Orientales covers a total surface of approximately 1 million acres, over half of which consists of 
forests and other uncultivated land. Approximately 16 percent is utilized for viticulture and 2 percent for other fruit 
Average Monthly Temperatures and Rainfall at Montpellier and Perpignan, 1921-50 
Montpellier 
temp. falls 
below 
freezing 
Degrees Degrees Days Inches Days 
(Ee) ara), 
No. of days 
temp. falls 
below 
freezing 
Precipitation 
Month 
Amount | Frequency 
Degrees Degrees Days Inches Days 
(F.) (F.) 
January...-.. 34.3 51.3 2.2 8 39.0 53.8 5 1.7 7 
February..... 35.6 54.1 11 1.4 6 40.8 56.3 3 1.8 6 
March i'rpepatests 40.5 58.6 12 2.8 8 44.1 60.4 1 2.4 8 
Aprile cleyareieie/< 45.5 63.3 = 2.4 9 48.9 65.8 ae 1.8 8 
Mayjeroeronstereia's $1.4 69.8 -- 2.0 9 54.5 me) -- 1.9 9 
WWD Soouceac 57.2 78.3 -- 1.0 6 61.3 79.2 -- 12 6 
July/veyrerteiet-\- 61.2 83.7 -- 8 3 65.8 84.2 -- a 4 
August ...... 61.5 82.2 -- 1.6 6 65.7 83.7 -- 1.6 5 
September... . S72 76.5 -- 3.9 7 61.3 HS -- 2.7 7 
October...... 49.5 68.4 -- 2.8 9 $4.3 69.4 -- 3.9 8 
November .. 41.9 59.0 3 2.8 9 46.0 60.6 - 2.3 7 
December ... 35.6 51.4 10 Sul 10 40.8 54.1 4 Deh 8 
