ROCKFORD (AP) — The owner of a Rockford apple orchard says the drought means apples will be smaller this season.

Pat Curran owns Curran's Orchard and he tells the Rockford Register Star that his trees need more water before late fall. Curran says the trees are stressed and will have smaller apples. Curran says orchards across Illinois also were hurt by a string of freezing temperatures in mid-April.

Curran says smaller apples will be denser because they don't have high moisture content.