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, Eoxbury, Sutton, and Williams. Connecti- 
cut is credited with 88 varieties, 1 of which one, the Twentj^-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. 
