viii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



increase in quantity, with prices about as usual. Pastures 

 were never in better condition. Strawberries were yielding 

 the heaviest crop for years, but the prices were most dis- 

 couraging. Plums and cherries looked well, but pears were 

 a little off. Apples did not set well and were much below 

 the average. Peaches did not indicate an average crop. 



July continued to be remarkably free from insects. Indian 

 corn came forward very rapidly and was generally in good 

 condition. The use of silos was believed to be steadily in- 

 creasing. The hay crop was everywhere reported as very 

 good indeed and haying was practically completed. The 

 quality of the crop was excellent and it was generally 

 secured in prime condition. The heavy hay crop and the 

 good condition of pastures both operated to reduce the acre- 

 age devoted to forage crops, but they were generally in good 

 condition. Market-garden crops were generally in good 

 condition and promising well. Early potatoes were not 

 generally dug, but the crop promised to be rather light ; 

 prices generally ruled high. Apples and pears both prom- 

 ised light crops ; plums fair and quinces good ; grapes prom- 

 ised well. Pastures suffered somewhat, but were still in 

 good condition. Rye, oats and barley were all about aver- 

 age crops. 



Indian corn was looking well as a whole at the end of 

 August, though it was backward in some sections. The 

 rowen crop promised to equal, or even exceed, the phenom- 

 enal crop of the previous year. Late potatoes promised 

 to be a better crop than the previous year, but were still 

 hardly up to the normal. Potato blight was quite common 

 and rot was also reported in some sections. The tobacco 

 crop was reported as unusually good, and cutting was 

 practically completed by the end of the month. Apples 

 promised a small crop. Pears were also light. Peaches 

 were below the average, but grapes promised well. Cran- 

 berries did not promise well, as a rule. Pastures were in 

 fine condition, seldom, if ever, having been better. Oats 

 and barley were hardly normal crops where raised for grain, 

 but as forage crops were highly satisfactory. Poultry keep- 

 ing was generally regarded as profitable, but is a side issue 

 except in the south-eastern portion of the State. 



