INTRODUCTION. XIX 



plenty, and the currant worm has taken everything before it. 

 Fiscal aqids: An average amount of hay, and of good quality, se- 

 cured in good order ; wheat crop, a fair one but not as good as 

 last year on account of the drouth ; oats altnost a failure, owing 

 to the drouth ; potatoes, average crop ; fruit, good ; cheese fac- 

 tories made less than in 1875, because there have been less cows 

 to furnish milk, and it has sold for 12 cents per pound. Somerset: 

 The hay and corn crops both above the average ; wheat below the 

 average and much less sown than formerly ; potatoes an average 

 crop and of excellent quality ; root crop two-thirds of an average ; 

 beans good ; fruit below the average, on account of the ravages 

 of caterpillars; cheese factories fallen off in yield one-fourth from 

 last year. Sagadahoc : Hay above an average, and harvested in 

 good order ; grains of all kinds fully an average, and will probably 

 largely exceed the average of the past ten years ; wheat culture 

 is increasing in the couuty, and when not sown too early does 

 well ; farmers find now that it is better to sow wheat the 10th of 

 June than to sow earlier ; early planted potatoes good, the later 

 varieties and those planted later, inferior in quality ; fruit fully au 

 average ; the Colorado beetle is in the county, but not yet to any 

 great extent. TValdo: The hay crop large and. got in better con- 

 dition than usual, except in cases wher^ it was cut late ; corn 

 heavy and nice ; wheat where it was sown late was good, early 

 sown being generally a failure and below the average ; oats light ; 

 potatoes large and good ; fall fruit plenty, winter fruit somewhat 

 scarce ; cheese factories in the county have done a smaller busi- 

 ness than last year, but have sold their products for 11 cents; 

 Colorado beetle making its appearance ; fall feed good and remains 

 as it is. Washington : Hay about two-thirds of an average crop, 

 but secured in excellent condition ; potatoes an average crop of 

 an excellent quality; grain, owing to the dry season, light; pas- 

 turage short throughout the season ; stock is rather light and thin ; 

 fruit below an average; there is much improvement manifested in 

 this section in removing the unnecessary road fences, and in clear- 

 ing up the roadside brush and weeds. Penobscot: An average 

 yield of hay ; late sown wheat good, early sown much injured, the 

 best time to sow being June 1st; oats and barley light ; a fine crop 

 of fruit,- but the specimens under size ; potatoes and roots good ; 

 factories taking less milk than last year, and cheese selling from 11 

 to 12 cents ; the Colorado beetle has been observed in the town of 

 Dixmont. York: Hay fully up to an average ; grain crop below 



