No. 4.J REPORT OF SECRETARY. xi 



barrels of fruit. The crop was far from an average one, but 

 was still much better than was expected, and generally brought 

 good prices. Peaches were practically an entire failure. Plums 

 and pears were light crops, as also were cherries, though the 

 latter are little grown commercially in Massachusetts. Straw- 

 berries were a light crop, owing to drought and cold weather, 

 but generally brought good prices. Cranberries, contrary to 

 expectation, proved a good crop, and also commanded good 

 prices. 



Probably the most serious menace to the fruit industry of 

 Massachusetts at the present time is the San Jose" scale. This 

 insect pest appears to be on the increase in all parts of the State, 

 being easily spread by birds from one tree to another and also 

 from one orchard to another. So stealthy is it in its early rav- 

 ages that often many trees are dead and dying before the orehard- 

 ist suspects that he has to contend with the pest. Constant 

 vigilance seems to be the price of a successful orchard to-day, 

 and it is urged upon every owner of fruit trees that he famil- 

 iarize himself with the appearance of the scale and be constantly 

 on the lookout for it, both as a protection to himself and a duty 

 which he owes to his neighbors. The Board has published an 

 excellent nature leaflet on this and other scales, by Dr. H. T. 

 Fernald, the State Nursery Inspector, which it will be glad to 

 place in the hands of any owner of fruit and ornamental trees 

 in the Commonwealth. 



As usual, the market gardeners have been the most successful 

 of any class of agriculturists during the year. Being less de- 

 pendent upon the success of any one crop than any other class 

 of tillers of the soil, they are able to retrieve the failure of one 

 crop by extra care and attention to another. Also, they are 

 able to secure better prices for their products in time of scarcity 

 than are most other farmers, as they are less subject to compe- 

 tition from a distance, so that anything short of actual failure 

 will usually leave them in a position to make at least a small 

 profit. Therefore, this year they were able to meet the condi- 

 tions of drought and cold weather with success, and had at least 

 an average season for profit, as a whole. 



Onions were a light crop, but brought unusually good prices, 

 so that the growers were not in as unfavorable a position as 



