10 



usual farm crops, particularly corn and potatoes, and do you 

 note anv new enterprises in the line of agriculture ? 



Eeturns were received from 142 correspondents, and from 

 them the following summary has been compiled : — 



The Season. 



The month opened cold and dry, but the weather became 

 warmer as the month progressed, and by the middle of the 

 month was unusually warm for the time of year. The drought 

 continued almost unabated in eastern sections, up to the time 

 of going to press, only slight showers breaking the continuous 

 six weeks of drought, while western and central sections had 

 heavy showers, but no continued rains. The warm weather 

 brought the vegetation forward very rapidly and the season 

 was fully normal at the close of the month, so far as vegeta- 

 tion was concerned. Early crops, on the other hand, were 

 slow in germination, and did not come forward as rapidly as 

 usual. The fruit bloom is reported by many correspondents 

 to have come all at once, and the blooming period to have been 

 very short. 



Pastures axd Mowixgs. 



Grass started late, owing to the cold weather, and made but 

 little growth up to the advent of the hot weather of the middle 

 of the month. This pushed it forward rapidly, but owing to 

 the drought the development was not what it should have been, 

 and feed in pastures was generally short at time of making 

 returns, while rain was imperatively needed if the hay crop 

 was to be anything but short. Fall seeding appears to have 

 suffered more from winterkilling than usual, partly because 

 of the open winter, with the formation of ice on the fields, 

 and partly because of poor condition at the opening of winter, 

 due to the drought of last year. This condition does not, 

 however, prevail in all localities, there being many reports 

 of it having wintered well. 



Fruit Bloom. 

 The fruit bloom was generally reported as unusually heavy, 

 except, in a few instances, for winter apples, and more partic- 



