rly level land.

[Illustration: Down the long row. View in well cared for orchard of J. M.
Barclay, Madison Lake.]

As for the effect of direction of slope on hardiness, there were many
varied opinions. Thirty stated without question that the direction had
an effect, thirty-one stated that it had no effect, and seventy-two
admitted that they did not know. Of those answering in the affirmative
only seven had two or more distinctly different slopes, while fifteen of
the negatives had two or more slopes for comparison. Nine of those who
stated they didn't know had two or more slopes upon which to base their
judgment. In summing up the direction of sites preferred, seventy-seven
recommended a northerly slope, nine had no preference, one preferred
southeast, one west, one west and east, two east, one north and east,
one northeast or east, and sixty-four expressed no opinion. Two growers
stated that the north slope prevented early bloom and thereby lessened
liability to injury from late frosts, two growers stated that northern
slopes decreased the loss of moisture, and one stated that the northeast
slope gives the largest fruit and the west the best colored.

As a brief summary of the reports on orchard sites, it may be stated
that high ground, rolling or sloping to the north, is preferred by the
majority of growers who filled out these orchard survey blanks.

_Protective Agencies._ Under this heading comes windbreaks of all kinds,
whether hills, natural timber or planted trees, and bodies of water
which ameliorate the climate. Out of fifty-four replies from the central
east section, sixteen reported that their orchards were favorably
affected by lakes, the benefit coming in most cases from the prevention
of early and late frosts. One grower attributed the cooling of the air
during the summer as a benefit and two stated that the bodies of water
furnished moisture. Two growers in the southeast section received
favorable influences from the Mississippi River, and one in the
southwestern and two in the west central sections thought they received
beneficial effects from lakes. According to this data, orchards in the
east central section, owing largely to the influence of Lake Minnetonka,
are greatly benefited by the presence of water.

Windbreaks are a very important factor in successful orcharding in
Minnesota, even though one party in the southeast section and three
parties in the central east noted no beneficial effects. A