16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



consequence, there was great loss of the late hay, grain and other 

 crops. To add to the calanoit}- the flat lands became so softened by 

 the excess of water that teams could not be driven upon them, and 

 many large fields of grain and corn were left unharvested. 

 Fields of potatoes were left unharvested awaiting more favorable 

 weather and finally had to be dug with the water standing between 

 the rows. The moist lands could not be plowed and but little of the 

 work usually completed in autumn in preparation for the next year 

 was accomplished. Nothing like it was ever before known in the 

 history' of the agriculture of the State. To add to the calamity 

 of excessive wet, cold weather and unseasonable frosts prevailed. 

 A heavy frost occurred the morning of the sixth day of September 

 which killed vegetation all over the State, on high land and low alike, 

 nothing escaping its effects except in isolated cases near lakes and 

 streams affording a partial protection. This sweeping frost was 

 followed by others at frequent intervals through the remainder of the 

 season and characterizing it as extremely cold as well as wet. 



Many of the crops grown in the State were seriously cut down by 

 the unfavorable conditions of weather. The hay crop of the shore 

 counties and of Southern Penobscot was cut down from a full crop 

 slightly by winter-killing and by a June drought. In all other sec- 

 tions the yield was bountiful and was harvested in good condition, 

 with the exception of the extreme east where the late cutting was 

 delayed till after the rainy season set in. In the State together the 

 crop was a full average. 



As a whole the grain crop was light, as much of the late sown 

 was seriously injured, and a considerable portion of it entirely 

 destroyed by the prevailing rains. Many fields on clay lands were 

 too soft to move teams upon and the grain remained in the fields 

 unharvested, a condition, probably never before known in so many 

 cases. 



The corn crop was practically a failure, anything different being 

 the exception rather than the rule. Such a record of this crop has 

 not before been written since the noted "cold season" of 1816. A 

 few fields of yellow corn ripened a light crop, but generally farmers 

 did not harvest an ear. 



The record of the sweet corn crop is but little better. The most 

 advanced fields were nearly ready to break, and the canning facto- 

 ries were about starting up, when the frost of September sixth struck 

 the crop. But very few fields escaped. The corn that was sufficientl}' 



