164 



ESTABLISHING THE ORCHARD 



cold, or violent fluctuations in winter temperatures, even 

 though the weather may be relatively mild as a whole, and 

 long, hot summers are not the most desirable for deciduous 

 fruits. Such fruits succeed well with an uninterrupted and 

 definite period of winter rest, when life processes are reduced 

 to a minimum. 



Location near large bodies of water is often desirable, 

 especially in the farther reaches of the industry, from the 

 temperature standpoint. It is doubtful whether well-known 



Fig. 59. Orchards of young apple trees are concentrated in the more 



favored sections. 



fruit areas in Canada, New York, Ohio, and Michigan would 

 have developed in the absence of Lakes Ontario, Erie, and 

 Michigan. Such waters tend to retard spring growth beyond 

 the date of frost injury, to extend the period for ripening and 

 development in the fall, and reduce temperature fluctuations 

 in the dormant period. 



Table 31 gives the number of bearing and non-bearing 

 apple trees in the various states for 1910, 1920, and 1935 and 

 the totals for the United States. The total of bearing and 

 non-bearing trees in 1935 was less than the total of bearing 



