68 



Feost Damage. Lowest Tempeeatukes. 

 The frost damage this spring has been exceedingly slight, 

 owing not so much to lack of cool weather as to accompanying 

 weather conditions which prevented frosts. On the majority 

 of nights when the thennometer has dropped to or below the 

 freezing point it has either been cloudy or foggy, or there 

 has been sufficient wind to prevent a frost. To these causes 

 may be attributed the slight losses, which would otherwise 

 have been much more severe. The following is a list of the 

 lowest bog temperatures in the various towns since water was 

 drawn off, and the dates it occurred, and also other low tem- 

 peratures which have occurred since that time: Middlebor- 

 ough, 22°, date not known; Plymouth, 28° May 8 and 20, 

 also 29°; Kochester, 26° May 20, also 28°, SO' and 32°; 

 Carver, 12° April 21, 15° April 18, and 18° May 1, also 

 20°, 21° and 24°; Marion, 22° May 11 and 13; Freetown, 

 30° May 15 ; Wareham, 21° April 30 and May 17, also 22°, 

 25°, 26° and 28° ; Bourne, a peculiar circumstance was re- 

 ported: on the night of May 22 the temperature dropped to 

 21° by 11 o'clock, but at midnight it was up to 30° ; Fal- 

 mouth, 19° April 18, also 20°, 22°, 24° and 32° ; Barnstable, 

 28° May 10 to 15; Dennis, no low temperature reported; 

 Harwich, 26° April 9, also 28°; K"antucket, 29° May 12. 

 At the time of making the report the danger of frost damage 

 was nearly past, and it is very gratifying that the crop 

 has fared so well in this regard. 



Insect Pests. 

 It is evident that very little damage is being done by in- 

 sects so far tliis spring. The reports on this question, how- 

 ever, indicate that it is a trifle early to state definitely in this 

 regard, and future reports may show different conditions. 

 Indications are for an " insect year," but the cool weather 

 of May has been instrumental in checking their activity. 

 What damage was reported was done to a large extent by the 

 black-headed cranberry worm. The damage was but slight, 

 as the worms had been hatching but a few days before the re- 



