x BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



and the ground got very dry, but the cloudy, wet weather 

 of the last week changed the aspect of everything. At 

 most places the total rainfall for the month was slightly 

 below the normal. A hail-storm in the vicinity of Warren, 

 in Worcester County, on the 23d, did considerable damage. 

 Some of the hailstones were as large as hen's eggs. At 

 Blandford a severe hail-storm occurred in a limited strip on 

 the 25th, cutting down and almost destroying all crops. A 

 high wind accompanied the thunder-storm on the 29th, near 

 Leeds, in Hampshire County, and did some damage to heavy 

 grass, potatoes and corn. The temperature was slightly 

 above the normal for the month in eastern districts, and 

 considerably so in central. The warmest day at most places 

 was on the 2d. Most correspondents reported a marked 

 scarcity of the insect-eating birds, such as the bluebird, 

 phcebe, robin and thrush; while the seed-eating birds, like 

 the warblers, flycatchers; sparrows, etc., were nearly as 

 plenty as usual. The scarcity of the first-named birds was 

 probably due to the severe cold in the southern part of the 

 United Stales last winter, as most of those birds winter 

 there. Not only were the birds probably killed, but many 

 insects that they feed on were also destroyed. 



The weather for July was cool and unusually cloudy and 

 rainy. The actual amount of rainfall was less than the nor- 

 mal for the month at many places, especially in the south- 

 east, but the total number of rainy days was in excess. At 

 Boston rain fell to an appreciable amount on twelve days, 

 while a trace was recorded on two other days. The total 

 fall, however, was half an inch less than normal, being 3.59 

 inches. The temperature was generally lower than usual, 

 with few oppressive days, and no extended spell of hot 

 weather. The cyclonic and anti-cyclonic areas were all 

 of slight energy and poorly defined, except the last two 

 cyclones. One of these passed north-easterly across our dis- 

 trict on the night of 27th-28th, giving heavy rain and high 

 winds; the other passed easterly to the north of New Eng- 

 land on the 30th-31st, with heavy rain and severe local 

 storms. Other sharp local storms occurred, but they were 

 of short duration and confined generally to limited districts. 



