Rice has generally about held its own, losses in condition 

 in some States being balanced by gains in others. 



Of the 13 States having 10,000 acres or upward in sweet 

 potatoes at the last census, 11 report an impairment in con- 

 dition during the month. 



Maine and New York are the only States of large pro- 

 duction that do not report a continued decline in the condi- 

 tion of apples. 



In Massachusetts the average yield of oats per acre, is 

 given as 35.7, and the average quality as 92 ; the average 

 yield per acre of barley as 30.3, and the average quality as 

 94 ; the average yield per acre of rye as 16, and the average 

 quality as 91 ; the average condition of corn October 1 as 

 94 ; the average condition of buckwheat as 91 ; the average 

 condition of tobacco as 110 ; the average condition of pota- 

 toes as 97 ; and the average condition of apples as 36. 



Massachusetts Weather, 1899. 



[Compiled from Data furnished by the New England Weather Service.] 



January was a month without marked departures from 

 normal conditions, the small amount of snow-fall being the 

 chief abnormal condition. The temperature for the month 

 was very slightly in excess of the normal. The monthly 

 average of precipitation was only slightly below the normal, 

 the loss of moisture from the small amount of snow being 

 counterbalanced by an excess of rain-fall. 



The first half of February was uninterrupedly cold, and 

 the second half uniformly mild, the mean monthly tem- 

 perature being about 2° below the normal. The precipita- 

 tion of the month was practically normal. A typical " coast 

 storm," with violent gales, occurred on the 12th and 14th. 

 Railroad traffic was considerably interfered with, but the 

 loss of life at sea was comparatively small. 



March was conspicuous for much unpleasant weather, 

 cloudiness and precipitation being almost constant. An 

 ice-storm of wide-spread area occurred on the 19th, doing 

 considerable damage to trees and telegraph poles. The tem- 

 perature for the month averaged about 1° below the normal, 

 and at its close the season was backward in all sections. 



