Crop Beport for the Month of September, 1899. 



Office of State Board of Agriculture, 

 Boston, Mass., Oct. 2, 1899. 



Bulletin No. 5, Crop Report for the month of September, 

 is herewith presented. We desire to call the particular 

 attention of our readers to the article on " Birds as Destroy- 

 ers of Hairy Caterpillars," by E. H. Forbush, ornithologist 

 to the Board. 



Progress of the Season. 



The September returns of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture (Crop Circular for September, 1899) give the 

 condition of corn on September 1 as 85.2. There was a de- 

 cline during August of 4.7 points, but the condition on Sep- 

 tember 1 was still 1.1 points higher than at the same date 

 last year, 5.9 points higher than the corresponding date in 

 1897, and 2.9 points above the mean of the September aver- 

 ages of the last ten years. 



The condition at harvest of winter and spring wheat con- 

 solidated was 70.9, as compared with 86.7 last year, 85.7 in 

 1897, and 82.5, the mean of the September averages of the 

 last ten years. The condition on September 1 was the 

 lowest September condition for twenty years. 



The average condition of oats was 87.2, against 90.8 last 

 month, 79 last year, 84.6 in 1897, and 80, the mean of the 

 September averages of the last ten years. 



The average condition of barley was 86.7, against 93.6 

 last month, 79.2 last year, 86.4 in 1897, and 84.1, the mean 

 of the September averages of the last ten years. 



The condition at harvest of winter and spring rye con- 

 solidated was 82, as compared with 89.4 last year, 90.1 in 

 1897, and 87.5, the mean of the September averages for the 

 last ten years. 



The average condition of buckwheat was 75.2, as com- 

 pared with 93.2 last month, 88.8 last year, 95.1 in 1897, 

 and 88, the mean of the September averages of the last ten 

 years. 



