No. 4.] MASSACHUSETTS WEATHER. xxi 



less than the usual amount of fall seeding done, because of 

 dry weather, and that done was below average in condition. 



Prices received for farm crops, taken as a whole, appeared 

 to show quite a general improvement over former years, 

 due in part perhaps to shortage in particular crops. Out 

 of 147 answers to the question as to prices, 84 correspond- 

 ents spoke of prices as average, 48 as higher than usual 

 and 15 as lower. 



There was the usual diversity of opinion among corre- 

 spondents as to which crops had proved most profitable. 

 Sixty-nine considered potatoes to have been among the 

 most profitable crops ; 42, corn; 36, hay; 16, apples; 12, 

 tobacco; 9, cranberries ; 8, sweet corn; etc. Twenty-five 

 correspondents spoke of hay as among the least profitable 

 crops ; 22, apples ; 22, potatoes ; 13, onions ; 12, squashes ; 

 9, corn; 8, fruit; 6, oats; 6, milk; 6, tomatoes; 6, peas; 

 etc. Taking into consideration both the results obtained 

 from a classification of the returns and the general tone of 

 the returns themselves, it is considered that the past year 

 was a more than usually prosperous one for our farmers. 

 Almost all crops made at least good average yields, and 

 where there was any shortage it w^as usually compensated 

 for by increased price received. Most farmers had a sur- 

 plusage of hay on hand at the beginning of the season, so 

 that the light hay crop will not be as severely felt as would 

 otherwise have been the case. Of 138 correspondents 

 answering the question as to the profits of the season, 91 

 regarded the season as profitable, 29 as an average one for 

 profit and 23 as fairly profitable, w^hile 29 thought that it 

 had not been a profitable one. 



Massachusetts Weather, 1899. 



[Compiled from data furnished by the New England Weather Service.] 



January was a month without marked departures from 

 normal conditions, the small amount of snowfall being the 

 chief abnormal condition. The temperature for the month 

 was very slightly in excess of the normal. The monthly 

 average of precipitation was only slightly below the normal, 

 the loss of moisture from the small amount of snow being 

 counterbalanced by an excess of rainfall. 



