A big problem is happening on farms today. Farmers grow many green and red apples. They pick the fruit in the autumn season. But this year brings very bad news. The trees grow barely any good fruit. The hot sun makes the ground too dry.
Farmers look at their empty apple trees. They feel very sad and worried now. Rain did not fall on the dirt. The roots cannot get water to grow. This dry trouble hurts the whole farm. People cannot pick many apples this season.
The Dry Weather
The summer months brought almost no rain water. The dirt became hard like a dry rock. Apple trees need a lot of wetness. They need water to make big fruits. The hot sun burned the green leaves. The little apples fell down to dirt.
Farmers tried to save their green plants. They used water hoses on the dirt. But the water dried up too fast. The hot sun stayed in the sky. The trees could not make normal fruit. The harvest is ten times smaller now.
No Cider Drinks
People love to drink cold apple cider. Factories press the sweet fruit to make it. Workers need many bushels of fresh apples. This year brings a shortage of fruit. The factories do not have enough apples. The juice makers must stop their work.
Store shelves will have less cider soon. The price of the drink will go up. Families will pay more money for juice. Store owners shake their heads in sadness. Everyone misses the sweet autumn taste. The empty bottles sit on the shelves.
Hope For Next Year
Farmers want to fix the big problem. They plan to buy better water pipes. They hope for rain in the spring. Winter snow can help the dirt too. The brave farmers will try again soon. They want sweet apples next year.
Children hope the apple trees grow back. Nature can surprise people with good weather. Next autumn might bring heavy rain storms. The trees will get all their water. Then the farmers can smile once more. Big red apples will hang down low.