10 



orchards generally fail to show an average crop and many 

 are entire failures. Grapes promise well if the season is 

 long enough to allow them to ripen, but they are now rather 

 backward. There were also a few complaints of rot. Cran- 

 berries do not promise well as a rule, and the crop will be 

 hardly more than a fair one. 



Pastueage. 

 As last year at this time, pastures are in fine condition, 

 seldom, if ever, having been better. There are some com- 

 plaints that the feed lacks substance and nutritive value, 

 owing to excessive moisture, but in most cases this is bal- 

 anced by the abundance of the feed. 



Oats and Barley. 

 Oats and barley are hardly normal crops where raised for 

 grain, and there is some complaint of rust and lodging. 

 There is also some compkiint of damage from rain in harvest- 

 ing, particularly to oats. As forage crops they have been 

 highly satisfactory. 



Poultry Keeping. 

 There appears to be a constantly increasing amount of 

 attention paid to poultry keeping in all sections, though it is 

 still a side issue in many parts of the State, The principal ex- 

 ception is the south-eastern portion of the State, where much 

 is done in this line, and the income derived from poultry 

 products appears to be fully equal to that from the dairy. 

 It is impossible to give an estimate as to the relative income 

 from these two sources for the State as a whole, owing to 

 the few answers returned to this part of the question . Poultry 

 keeping seems to be generally regarded as profitable, even 

 under the ordinary conditions of neglect prevailing ; and it 

 seems to be the general opinion, that with proper care 

 poultry keeping is more profitable than dairying. The corre- 

 spondent from Easton reports that the keeping of ducks has 

 proved very unprofitable, and that many are giving up that 

 branch of the business. 



