No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. ariii 



Crops of the Year. 



The general opinion of correspondents the first of June 

 seemed to be that the month opened under less favorable 

 conditions, agriculturally speaking, than it did last year. 

 The month of April was quite favorable. The montb of 

 May was decidedly cool and wet, with occasional frosts, 

 which did considerable damage to fruit and early crops 

 in many sections. Almost every correspondent reported the 

 presence of the tent caterpillar, and that steps had been 

 taken by many farmers to destroy the pest, while others did 

 nothing. Nearly all the correspondents reported first-class 

 farm help as quite difficult to obtain, and that $20 to $25 

 per month and board was a fair average of the wages paid 

 such help. 



The 1st of July it was believed that on the whole the 

 season compared favorably with last season. Haying had 

 very generally commenced, but grass was late and the 

 weather had been unfavorable for curing, so that little had 

 been secured. The general opinion seemed to be that dairy 

 products had been a little less in quantity, of about the same 

 quality and with a little better price than last year. The 

 strawberry crop was hardly over two-thirds of an average. 



August 1 most of the correspondents reported the hay 

 crop as being entirely secured. The crop was estimated to 

 be about three-fourths of an average. The quality as a 

 whole was excellent. The general opinion was that the crop 

 of fall apples would be large, while the crop of winter vari- 

 eties would be considerably below the average, and that the 

 yield of small fruits was slightly below the average, while 

 prices were a full average. The quality was generally good. 

 Early potatoes had been generally harvested, and most cor- 

 respondents reported a good yield of good quality. A few 

 cases of blight and rot were reported. Rye was reported as 

 generally satisfactory both in quality and quantity. Pastures 

 had been injured by lack of rain. On the whole, the con- 

 dition August 1 was favorable, and the season so far fairly 

 prosperous for the farmer. 



September 1 nearly all the correspondents stated that they 

 had observed either blight or rot on potatoes. Most reported 

 the condition of dairy stock as being either excellent, good 



