No. 4.] MASSACHUSETTS CROPS. xxxiii 



July. Indian corn was growing very rapidly, but much later 

 than usual. Haying was not entirely completed, and the crop 

 was generally reported to be above the average, and of excel- 

 lent quality. There was perhaps a slight falling off in the 

 acreage of forage crops. Market-garden crops were late, but 

 yielding well, and bringing average prices. Potatoes were late 

 and not very promising. Apples promised only a light crop; 

 quinces good; grapes promising; cranberries bloomed very 

 full, but rather backward. Pastures were dry and brown in 

 southeastern sections, but green and growing elsewhere. Rye, 

 oats and barley were about normal crops. 



Indian corn came forward rapidly during August, but further 

 warm weather was still essential to its maturing. It suffered 

 somewhat from dry weather during the month. Rowen prom- 

 ised only a very light crop, owing to dry weather. Late pota- 

 toes promised only a light crop, with some blight and rot. 

 There was about the same acreage of tobacco as in 1906, but 

 the crop was backward and unpromising, though early fields 

 were in good condition. Pastures were in very poor condition, 

 especially in eastern sections. Apples were small and back- 

 ward, and had dropped badly. Oats were an average crop, 

 but late-sown barley was making little progress. Root crops 

 were reported as grown in eastern sections for the market, but 

 only to a limited degree for stock feeding in any section. 



The rains and warm weather of September benefited corn 

 materially, and a fair crop was in prospect. Rowen was a 

 light crop in all sections. Feed in pastures improved during 

 the month to a marked degree. Mowings were green and 

 luxuriant, even on light land, but with little growth of hay 

 in most cases. Very much less than the usual amount of fall 

 seeding was done, ow T ing to the prolonged drought. Onions 

 were hardly a normal crop, being smaller than usual. Pota- 

 toes were considerably under the normal in yield, and of small 

 size but good quality. Root crops were generally backward, 

 and not up to the normal. Celery also was a light crop, and 

 late market-garden crops of all kinds were backward, but with 

 prices generally higher than usual. Apples w T ere reported as 

 somewhat better than expected; pears the poorest crop for 

 years; peaches nearly a total failure; grapes a fair crop, but 



