No. 4.] MASSACHUSETTS CROPS. xxxv 



iiial, also celery, both suffering from drought; vines of all 

 kinds did well. Apples were a light crop, small in size and 

 prematurely ripened. Pears rather better than expected; 

 peaches generally light; grapes a heavy crop, with no damage 

 from frost; cranberries a light croj), with small berries and 

 more or less damage from insects. 



The final report of the season, at the end of October, showed 

 that the corn crop was as valuable as that of any year within 

 the recollection of the correspondents. Both grain and stover 

 matured in excellent shape, and the high price of grain also 

 tended to make the crop more valuable than usual. That 

 portion raised for the silo was peculiarly valuable, as it was 

 well eared out, and was secured i:)ractically without any dam- 

 age from frost. More ensilage corn than usual was planted, 

 and an unusually large and valuable crop was secured. Root 

 crops were rather below the average, taking the State as a 

 whole. They developed well and were far from being a 

 failure, though considerably reduced in yield. Potatoes 

 were a light crop in all sections, but brought good prices. 

 Pastures were very dry and short during the fall, and young 

 stock generally came to the barns in rather poor flesh. Milch 

 cow^s, having been fed at the barns in most sections since early 

 fall, remained in good condition and kept up a good flow of 

 milk. Fall seeding done early in the season did well, but 

 later seeding failed to germinate fully in most cases. ]\Iuch 

 less than the usual amount of fall seeding was done, owing 

 to the unusually dry conditions which prevailed. 



Prices for crops raised for market, as indicated by the 

 returns of correspondents, averaged about the same as in 

 former years, but the movement, if any, was in a downward 

 direction. Of the 113 correspondents answering the question 

 as to prices, 21 spoke of p'rices as higher than usual, 66 as 

 average or about average, and 26 as lower than usual. 



Concerning the question as to which crops had proved 

 profitable and which crops had proved unprofitable, 61 cor- 

 respondents, a bare majority, considered corn to have been 

 among the most profitable crops; 53, hay; 14, potatoes; 7, 

 onions; 5, tobacco; and 5, cranberries; while 76 correspond- 

 ents, considerably over a majority, considered potatoes to have 



