9 



Xumerons correspondents report that the crop has been vellow 

 in color, but that it is rapidly improving, with the advent of 

 warm weather, and there is general agreement that the crop 

 is backward for the time of year. 



The Hay Crop. 

 Haying was just beginning in many sections at time of 

 making returns, and the indications were that it would be 

 well under way, for the State as a whole, by the first of 

 July. A good normal crop is likely to be gathered, j^ew 

 seeded fields are generally reported as unusually heavy, and 

 old, infertile fields as light, owing to the drought of the last 

 two seasons, from which such fields have not recovered. It 

 is seldom that even a fair crop is secured on such old fields, 

 a partial failure being the rule, so that their present condi- 

 tion is of less importance for purposes of comparison than 

 would appear at first thought. The warm, sunshiny weather 

 of the past ten days has been just what the crop needed to 

 mature it and improve the nutritive quality of the grasses. 



Potatoes. 

 The acreage of strictly early potatoes appears to be about 

 the same for the State as in previous years, comparatively few 

 growers devoting much attention to the early varieties. The 

 acreage of potatoes as a whole appears to be decreased to a 

 considerable degree, due largely to the low prices for last 

 year's crop. Our Massachusetts farmers apparently pursue 

 a more erratic policy with this crop than with any other which 

 they grow. The crop was generally backward at time of mak- 

 ing returns, due to the cold wet weather, and there were some 

 complaints of failure to germinate from the same causes. The 

 vines generally look well and promise good yields, with favor- 

 able developments for the remainder of the season. 



Early Market-garden Crops. 

 Early market-garden crops were delayed by cool weather, 

 and in some cases had not been marketed at time of making 

 returns. The vields were not above the average, in some 



