Part I.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 11 



total figures for the State being 1,760,000 bushels as against 

 2,304,000 in 1915; but a greatly increased price somewhat offset 

 the low crop, the price being $1.10 in 1916 and 82 cents in 1915. 



Potatoes were in most cases planted very late, and, largely 

 owing to the lack of fertilizer, were a light crop. In some 

 sections blight injured them materially, while in others rot set 

 in late in summer. Seed also was very high and restricted 

 planting. The crop this year was 2,180,000 bushels, with a 

 price of $1.47; last year, 3,120,000 bushels, with a price of 

 92 cents. 



It is to be noted that we are steadily declining in the pro- 

 duction of potatoes, — from over 4,000,000 bushels in 1914 to 

 about half that in 1916. This is a very serious drop, particularly 

 so in that prices have ruled high in these three years. 



Market-garden crops were fairly abundant and of good 

 quality, although varying much with the location. Early crops 

 out of doors were more or less injured by too much rain. 

 Summer prices were high, and crops of all kinds sold well above 

 the average; particularly was this so for beans, cabbage, lettuce, 

 cucumbers, root crops and sweet corn. 



Greenhouse crops were in large demand, and this fall, for the 

 first time in years, lettuce has sold at a profit. Celery, the great 

 late out-of-door crop, has practically all been housed, and is in 

 fair condition, although it should have had a longer growing 

 season. Prices for this crop are good. 



Tomatoes were scarce and very high, as were also peppers 

 and squash. Asparagus was fair and sold well. An estimate 

 of the market-garden crops of the State shows that approxi- 

 mately $10,000,000 worth were grown this year. 



The apple bloom of the spring gave abundant promise of a 

 large crop, but cold, damp weather immediately followed, and 

 there was a poor set of fruit in many places, and the continued 

 bad weather conditions made spraying almost impossible. Spray 

 mixtures, so often used with success in other years, either burnt 

 the foliage this season or russeted the fruit, so that many fine 

 orchards were partially ruined. No very satisfactory explanation 

 of the cause of this could be made except that owing to atmos- 

 pheric conditions the sulphur and arsenic in the spray mixtures 

 became more soluble and burnt before they could dry. Spraying 



