New York Weather Bureau. 365 



fall had been unusually light during the whole season. At the 

 beginning of the month corn and buckwheat were backward but 

 ripening rapidly, and cutting was general during the second dec- 

 ade. As corn was so late in ripening, especially in the north, 

 much of the crop was cut rather green from fear of frost. Potato 

 digging revealed widespread rot, the tubers rotting both in the 

 ground and after being dug. The very good crop of tobacco was 

 about all securely housed by the 15th, and hop picking was nearly 

 finished. Hops yielded fairly well, but the berry was rather small. 

 The weather was particularly favorable for maturing crops, and 

 for finishing up the harvests of late oats and second hay. 'Grapes 

 came to market the first of the month ; the crop generally was very 

 good, although there was complaint of lack of sugar in the fruit. 

 Peaches were unusually abundant, and so were pears and plums, 

 but the apple prospects continued to decrease. At the close of the 

 month there was much complaint of drouth in western and north- 

 ern counties, and consequent delay in fall plowing and seeding. 



Bright, dry weather continued up to the last week of October. 

 Throughout the greater part of the State pasturage continued in 

 very good condition, fall plowing and seeding were finished sea- 

 sonably, and farming interests were quite satisfactory. In north- 

 ern and western counties, however, the rainfall had been extremely 

 light since the first part of August, and as the soil had become too 

 hard to work many farmers were awaiting rain before putting 

 in the fall crops. In these sections much of the seed sown earlier 

 in the season failed to sprout in the dry ground, and in many 

 cases fields were plowed up to be reseeded when rain comes. 

 Wells and springs were exceptionally low, and pastures dried up, 

 making it necessary to feed stock from winter stores. During the 



