FARMS. 99 



In regard to agricultural products, the season was on the 

 whole propitious, so far as relates to this section. The first 

 crop of hay was in some instances lessened by the spring 

 drought, and in others was deficient from injury done by ice, as 

 before mentioned ; but the crop was nearly an average one, and 

 under the favorable weather which followed, the aftermath was 

 abundant. Pastures were green and luxuriant from June to 

 November. Tlie crops of small grain (so called) gave, gen- 

 erally, an average yield, with the exception of wheat, which 

 from the attack of blight, was not so uniformly good as it had 

 been for several previous years. Indian corn gave a fine yield, 

 notwithstanding fears were for awhile entertained that much of 

 it would not ripen. Potatoes grew finely through the season, 

 and the yield was generally more abundant than that of any 

 previous crop for several years. Still the tubers have not been 

 altogether free from the rot, that mysterious malady, which for 

 nearly twenty years has been more or less destructive to the 

 crop, both in this country and in Europe. 



But the special characteristic of the season in regard to pro- 

 ductions was the abundance of apples and pears. The yield of 

 these fruits was even greater than that of 1860, which was 

 regarded as unprecedented. Cherry trees have not recovered 

 from the great injury sustained in the autumn of 1860 and the 

 following winter. The crop was very small, and the quality of 

 the fruit generally inferior. Peach trees of proper age for 

 bearing, which were not killed by the winter of 1860-61, bore 

 fair crops of good fruit in 1862. 



It will be recollected that some species of insects, not hereto- 

 fore common in this section, appeared here in great numbers 

 in 1861. Allusion is particularly made to the army-worm and 

 grain aphis or louse. The ravages of these were spoken of in 

 the report of this committee for last year. Feai's were enter- 

 tained that the voracious army-worm would reappear in 1862, in 

 increased numbers, although, as stated in our report for last 

 year, we have no instance in the history of the insect that it has 

 appeared in great numbers, in the same locality, two years in 

 succession. 



But we have now to record the singular fact that there is no 

 account of the appearance of the army-worm, in any part of 

 the country, during this year. When we consider that it 



