6 agriculture: of mains. 



exceeding that of 1906. The yield of potatoes was considerably 

 less than in the preceding year. The crop in Aroostook county 

 was injured somewhat by the excessively wet weather during 

 the season. This invited blight and rust, and the conditions 

 were such that on many of the wet pieces much less cultivation 

 and spraying was done than would have been done otherwise, 

 consequently the rot was largely increased. The first frosts 

 were also very early and severe, and in some instances where 

 harvesting had been delayed on account of the rains, quite a per 

 cent of the potatoes were lost from freezing. Farmers, how- 

 ever, are not sufifering so much from this shortage as would be 

 the case if the price was correspondingly low. Potatoes began 

 to sell at a good price at digging time and steadily advanced until 

 the close of the year, when they were selling at 60 cents a bushel, 

 with a prospect of going much higher. 



A great deal of uncertainty prevailed during the entire season 

 in refetion to the apple crop. In some sections orchards suffered 

 severely from winter-killing during the winter of 1906-7. Trees 

 that were uninjured as a rule bore a heavy crop, but apples were 

 late and the cold, wet weather in the fall prevented them from 

 completing their growth and coloring up until very late. At the 

 proper gathering time many of them were not fully mature, and 

 in many instances help was so scarce that harvesting was delayed, 

 and the apples suffered, as well as the potatoes, from the early 

 frosts. Those who gathered their apples at the usual harvesting 

 time received a larger crop than they expected and apples that 

 were put on to the market early brought a high price. 



The discovery of several infestations of the gipsy moth in the 

 southern part of the State early in the year was the cause of 

 much alarm. In the face of this serious menace to our orchards 

 and forests the legislature of 1907 increased the appropriation 

 for the suppression of insect pests to $30,000, for each of the 

 years 1907 and 1908. With this amount, and the aid received 

 from the National Government, very effective work has been 

 done in the control and extermination of the gipsy and brown- 

 tail moths, which is fully reported by the State Entomologist in 

 this volume. Although we realize something of the magnitude 

 of the undertaking, we are confident that if the work can be con- 

 tinued, by vigilant and persistent efforts these pests may be kept 



