15 



soiling crops; all farmers are spraying and the fruit should 

 be better ; farmers are setting out apple trees all over their 

 farms ; some new orcharding and a fox-breeding farm ; several 

 will raise corn, tomatoes and peas for the canning factory 

 in Hopkinton ; alfalfa raised with good success ; good demand 

 for land, and more is being brought under cultivation ; many 

 are experimenting with alfalfa; many fruit trees, mostly 

 apples and peaches, have been set in the past two years. 

 Essex: several new silos; experimenting in alfalfa growing. 

 ISTorfolk: trinuning and spraying of fruit trees and quite a 

 lot of young trees set; 'more people interested in farming; 

 increased tendency toward early green fodder for cattle. 

 Bristol: fruit raising increased; peach and apple orchards 

 being planted quite extensively. Plymouth: fruit growing, 

 especially strawberry, on the increase ; a few more fruit 

 trees than usual have been set; several small orchards set; 

 farmers are using lime to some extent, Barnstable : company 

 is running a mushroom plant; cranberry growers are begin- 

 ning to do considerable spraying; more general interest in 

 tree spraying; general increase in agricultural interest. 



Birds. 

 Damage by birds appears to have been done principally by 

 hawks and crows throughout the State, and by pheasants in 

 Worcester, Middlesex and Essex counties. Corn was hardly 

 up enough on May 24 to be pulled by crows, although some 

 injury of this kind is reported from IsTorfolk, Plymouth and 

 Barnstable counties ; blackbirds likewise appear to be doing 

 similar mischief. The tarring of corn before planting seems 

 to repel these birds, and, when practiced, freedom from in- 

 jury is reported. Many poultrymen are losing chickens from 

 inroads by hawks and crows. By far the most serious damage 

 is done by pheasants, particularly to garden crops. More 

 than one-half the correspondents of Worcester, Middlesex and 

 Essex counties reporting damage by birds name pheasants 

 as most troublesome. The farmer who feeds these birds un- 

 willingly should have the privilege of shooting the'm for the 

 protection of his crops, if nothing more, — the same privilege 



