cows, oxen and other cattle in Massachusetts is given as 

 274,697; losses 5,219, or 1.9 per cent. The average 

 condition of sheep is lower than for the last two years, but 

 higher than at the same date in 1890. The losses from 

 winter exposure amount, on a general average, to 2 per cent, 

 as against 1.4 per cent a year ago and 1.7 per cent in April, 

 1891. The losses from all causes amount to an average of 

 4.4 per cent, as against 3.3 per cent in 1892. No disease 

 has been exceptionally general in its prevalence. The num- 

 ber of sheep in Massachusetts is given as 53,032; losses 

 1,220, or 2.3 per cent. The general average of condition of 

 swine is 96.4, the highest figure for several years. The 

 average of losses is somewhat larger than a year ago, but 

 smaller than in 1891 or 1890. The percentage of losses has 

 been highest in the South. The general conclusion that 

 seems to be fairly deducible from the returns is, that sows 

 which have arrived at the best age for breeding purposes are 

 unusually scarce this season in many of the principal hog- 

 breeding States. The number of hogs in Massachusetts is 

 given as 65,871; losses 1,515, or 2.3 percent. The con- 

 dition of the different classes of farm animals, as reported 

 from Massachusetts, is : horses, 99 ; cattle, 99 ; sheep, 100 ; 

 swine, 100. 



Meteorological Summary. 



January, 1893. 



January, 1893, will long be remembered as a remarkably 

 cold month. The average deficiency was 6°. The highest 

 temperature recorded during the month in Massachusetts 

 was 60°, at Fall River on the 29th, and the lowest —23°, at 

 Middleborough, Plymouth County, on the 17th. The cold- 

 est day at Boston was the 11th, the mean temperature being 

 only 4° above zero ; the highest daily mean was 34° on the 

 30th. The only colder months during the past twenty years 

 have been January, 1875, January, 1881, February, 1885, 

 and January, 1888. A decided fall in the temperature 

 occurred on the 10th and 11th at Boston ; from 26° at noon 

 on the 10th it fell steadily to 4° below zero at 8 a.m. on the 

 11th. 



The precipitation was about one inch below normal ; the 

 greatest deficiency was 2.10 inches, at Cambridge. 



