The tobacco reports as a whole are somewhat less favorable 

 than last month. 



Exceedingly high averages are again reported for the con- 

 dition of sugar cane, Louisiana in particular reporting a con- 

 dition of 101, or 13.5 points above the ten-year average. 



The condition of sorghum is not only almost everywhere 

 above the ten-year average at this season of the year, but 

 has sensibly improved during September in almost all the 

 States of principal production. 



The condition of rice was generally higher than has been 

 reported on October 1 for some years past, Georgia afford- 

 ing the only exception. 



In Massachusetts the average yield of oats per acre, is given 

 as 32 bushels ; the average yield of barley as 24.5 ; the aver- 

 age yield of rye as 16.7 ; the average condition of buck- 

 wheat, October 1, as 90.; the average condition of corn as 

 95 ; the average condition of tobacco as 102 ; the average 

 condition of potatoes as 77 ; and the average condition of 

 apples as 52. 



Massachusetts Weather, 1898. 



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



January was about normal in temperature and considerably 

 above the average in precipitation. There was an unusually 

 severe storm from January 31 to February 1, which was gen- 

 erally considered to have been more severe than the " bliz- 

 zard" of March, 1888. Heavy snow fell all night, and on 

 the morning of February 1 Massachusetts, with the rest of 

 New England, was completely snowbound. Railroad travel 

 was completely at a stand-still for twenty-four hours, and 

 many vessels were wrecked along the coast, nearly two score 

 mariners losing their lives. 



February was above the normal in both temperature and 

 precipitation, but the snowfall was generally moderate 

 throughout the State. The first part of the month was 

 very cold, but later in the month the weather was mild. 

 There was much cloudiness and rain and an unusually severe 

 hail and sleet storm on the 19th to 22d. In the central 

 southern portion of the State much damage was done by ice 

 forming on the trees and stripping them of their branches. 



