55 



are not much planted; rye and buckwheat are used as cover crops 

 to some extent, and crimson clover is gaining favor. The tent 

 caterpillars, where not destroyed, are most troublesome. Frost dam- 

 aged 25 per cent of the strawberry crop ; the prices have been satis- 

 factory, and were slightly less than those of one year ago. Spraying, 

 to a limited extent, is practiced for sooty fungus and other diseases. 

 The exceedingly heavy rains early in the month did more or less 

 damage to crops in general. More interest is being manifested in 

 crimson clover as a cover crop, nitrogen gatherer and soil improver 

 for orchards; also in its value as an early spring fodder and for the 

 honey bee. 



Essex County. 



Salisbury (Henry C. Rich). — Frost damaged 75 per cent of 

 plums; apples, pears and peaches, 50; cherries and small fruits, 

 except strawberries, were not damaged. Sixty per cent of tree 

 fiTiits set weU, and thei'e has been considerable drop. Fruit crop 

 prospect : apple, pear and peach, light ; currant, raspben:y, black- 

 berry and blueberry, good; cherry, fair; plum, poor. Grass is cut 

 and removed from orchards; clean culture is practiced; no cover 

 crops are used. The gypsy moth is doing the most damage; very 

 little fire blight has appeared. Five per cent of the strawberry crop 

 was injured by frost; prices have been satisfactory, being 1 cent 

 higher per quart than in 1912. Summer spraying has not been 

 practiced, but there is a possibility of its being done this season. 

 Peach carl is more troublesome than usual. Unless we get immediate 

 rains, fruit crops will suffer more than usual from drought, due to 

 the insufficient precipitation during the early part of the season. 



Methuen (M. F. Noyes). — There has been no noticeable frost 

 damage to fruits. Tree fruits set well; drop has not been as much 

 as usual in June. Fruit crop prospect: apple, good; pear, good; 

 peach, fair ; ra.spberry, good ; blackberry, very good ; blueberry, fair. 

 Grass is cut and made into hay; legumes are not planted, and only 

 ordinary grass, orchard grass and timothy hay are used as cover 

 crops. The tent caterpillar and gypsy moth are the most trouble- 

 some insects; no fire blight has been noticed. The strawberry crop 

 suffered no damage from frost; prices have been lower than usual, 

 and dropped suddenly the first of this week. Peach crop of good 

 quality; quantity less than usual. No plums, cherries or currants 

 raised to any extent in this vicinity; blueberry crop started out well, 

 but drought seemed to damage considerably. 



North Andover (E. 0. Reynolds). — Frost damaged fruits as 

 follows: apples, 1; pears, none; peaches, 50; strawberries, 40. 

 About 50 per cent of apple blossoms set, and there has been much 

 drop. Crop prospect: apple and peach, poor; pear, plum, cherry 

 and currant, good; blackberry and blueberry, very plentiful. Grass 



