Excerpt from Soil Profile and Root Penetration as Indicators of Apple Production in the Lake Shore District of Western New York

The importance of the lake shore district for apple growing, as for the growing of other tree fruits, is owing largely to climatic conditions. Near the lake the tempering influence of this large body Of water affords protection from the extremely low temperatures reached on the higher lands but a few miles from the shore.

As recorded by the United States Weather Bureau station at Rochester, the mean annual temperature is 47° F., and the absolute minimum is 'at Cortland, in Cortland County, about 50 miles inland and at a higher elevation, the minimum is 30° and at Coopers town, about 100 miles from the lake, The equalizing influence of the lake also prevents early blooming and injury from late spring frosts. At Rochester the average date of the last killing frost in spring is April 29, at Cooperstown it is May 5, and at Cortland May 15. Injury occurs at times, in the lake district, from cold cloudy weather in the spring, particularly at blossom time. Bees and other pollen-distributing insects do not work well under such conditions, and poor pollination results.

The normal annual precipitation for this district is about 32 inches. At Sodus it is 29 inches, at Lockport inches, at Rochester inches, at Brockport 33. 08 inches, and at Oswego 35. 21 inches. This is sufficient moisture, in a latitude of such low evaporation as this, for the production of good cr, ops provided soil and subsoil are favorable for its conservation.

On certain soils during periods of unusual drought apples and other cr0ps suffer from lack of moisture. In orchards this is indicated by thin, pale foliage, by premature ripening, and by small-sized fruit. Under such conditions even the trees may be injured.

Injury from excessive moisture in the subsoil, especially during seasons of unusual precipitation is, however, believed to be much greater than that from lack of moisture during drought.

Apple growers of this district express the opinion that much injury was caused by excess precipitation during the years 1925, 1926, and 1927, and that this injury was so serious that orchards in many places have not yet fully recovered.

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