xiv BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



correspondents spoke of farm stock as being in either 

 average, good or excellent condition. The returns of cor- 

 respondents indicated that in all but a very few localities 

 concentrated commercial feed stuffs were relied upon to help 

 out the fodder ration of the dairy stock. The general prac- 

 tice seemed to be to use corn meal, bran, shorts or middlings, 

 or a combination of two or more of these in conjunction with 

 cotton-seed meal, gluten meal, linseed meal or gluten feed. 

 Fall seeding was reported as in good condition generally. 

 Fifty-seven correspondents reported hay to have been among 

 the most profitable crops; thirty-five, potatoes; nineteen, 

 corn ; six, cabbage ; four, onions ; four, oats ; three, rye ; 

 three, tobacco. Thirty correspondents reported apples as 

 among the least profitable crops ; twenty-six, potatoes ; 

 twenty-five, corn ; five, cranberries ; four, tobacco ; four, 

 squashes ; four, cabbage ; three, onions ; three, rowen. 

 There was quite general complaint that the season had not 

 been an average one for profit. The majority of corre- 

 spondents reported the season to have been either a poor 

 one or one not up to the average. Very few referred to it 

 as more than an average. 



Massachusetts Crop Reports. 



The publication of monthly crop bulletins was continued 

 as in previous seasons, and six in all were issued (May-Octo- 

 ber), aggregating 148 pages of printed matter. Two thou- 

 sand copies of each issue were distributed. The bulletins 

 were made up as in the season of 1892. The only special 

 subject treated was : " Numbers and values of farm animals 

 on farms and ranches, January, 1893," in Bulletin No. 1. 



Also, as in 1892, this office co-operated with the New 

 England Weather Service in the issuing of weekly weather- 

 crop bulletins. The first was of date of May 9 and the last 

 of date of Septeml)er 2(3, twenty-one in all, representing an 

 aggregate issue of 42,000 copies. 



