8 



days of the month were particularly disagreeable. The rain- 

 fall was also excessive and the local thunderstorms were 

 numerous and severe. The shower of the 17th was particu- 

 larly severe in Boston and immediate vicinity ; many build- 

 ings were struck and at Waltham a man was killed. Hail 

 accompanied this storm, but the stones were not large 

 enough to do any appreciable damage. In western Massa- 

 chusetts the monthly rainfall was considerably less than in 

 the central and eastern portions of the State. At Concord, 

 Mass., the rainfall on two days during the month exceeded 

 2.5 inches, bringing the total for the month up to nearly 10 

 inches. The average temperature for the first twenty-five 

 days of August at Boston was 73.2^, — between 3° and 4° 

 above the normal. The winds were of moderate velocity 

 and mostly from the south-west. The amount of clouds was 

 above the average. 



In the circular to correspondents returnable August 23 

 the following questions were asked : — 



1. What is the condition of Indian corn? 



2. What is the prospect for rowen, as compared with 

 former years ? 



3. What is the prospect for late potatoes, and have you 

 noticed blight or rot ? 



4. How do the acreage and condition of tobacco compare 

 with former years ? 



5. What is the prospect for apples, pears, peaches, 

 grapes and cranberries ? 



6. What is the condition of pasturage in your vicinity? 



7. How have oats and barley compared with former 

 years ? 



8. Do your farmers pay much attention to poultry, and 

 what proportion does the income derived from poultry pro- 

 ducts bear to that from dairy products ? 



Returns were received from 172 correspondents, from 

 which the following summary has been made : — 



Indian Corn. 

 Indian corn is looking well as a whole, and will probably 

 be nearly, if not quite, a normal crop. It is backward in 



