CDs may work but make sure the CDs aren't of The Counting Crows. I would stay away from the Birds too but The Yardbirds might be a better choice. If you use CDs from Flock of Seagulls, even your friends will stay away from you. Lastly, playing Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd would score points with me. O...

Global warming is a fact. The last time the average global temp was below the monthly average was Feb 1985! That's 329 months in a row of at or higher than normal temps. http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/image/2012/4th-warmest-july-on-record Why is it going up is a good question. Maybe it is human re...

Just look at what is successful south of you where it is hotter and think about planting those apples that are successful down there. The USDA just changed our area to a different Zone, so I must change with it.... to a degree.

I have heard of whole crops being wiped out too. But one orchard I know will have a bumper crop and have been told "you'll sell 100% of your crop this year" due to the lack of apples at other orchards.

I don't know :D But I did find a hint on the internet and that was to use a small amount of 20 Mule team Borax on the trees and it said that helps the trees produce blossoms. So I tried it last summer and sure as heck I had a TON of blossoms this spring. Of course a cold snap hit and lost an unhealt...

Like you, I live in upstate NY and have been looking at that Black Diamond Farm site. It is nice. I am proud of my upstate NY roots and its role in the apple world. Personally I would start with apples that are from NY like Northern Spy, Cortlands, Empire, Liberty, Spitzenbergs, Fortune and/or Newto...

Wow!! That is a great site for helping IDing apples.

I'm bookmarking that one.

It looks like it. And RRs hang late in the season and are outstanding cider apples.

Where are you located?

I find IDing apples over the internet tough but I would guess at it is an Esopus Spitzenburg. They were first found in the town of Esopus, NY, so finding them in Mass. isn't a crazy thought :) I discovered my first ES tree this year (in the Albany NY area) near a very old farm and LOVE these apples....