10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



Massachusetts Ckop Conditions in 1916. 



Certainly our farmers never faced such a difficult situation as 

 during the year of 1916. Winter continued late so that in 

 many sections of the State snow lay on the ground until early 

 in April. This was followed by cold, damp weather during the 

 late spring and summer. Not only was the rainfall in April and 

 May well above the average, being about 3| inches in each of 

 those months, but the rainfall in July, usually one of our driest 

 months, reached the unprecedented total of 5.13 inches. This, 

 of course, made haying conditions intolerable. The heavy pre- 

 cipitation continued through August, making the summer, as 

 a whole, one of the wettest which we have ever seen, as the 

 following rainfall figures will show: April, 3.32 inches; May, 

 3.85; June, 2.94; July, 5.13; August, 2.75; September, 3.53; 

 total, 21.52. 



Our State as a whole planted much less than the usual 

 acreage of crops; particularly was this so on the lower lands, 

 where the continued wet weather of the late spring made it 

 impossible to work them at all. Many corn fields usually 

 planted in late May or early June were too wet on July 1 and 

 so only were planted to late ctops. 



Seed started slowly and was often replanted two or three times, 

 but during the late summer, owing to more favorable weather 

 conditions, the crops, as a rule, turned out better than the early 

 season promised. The high price of many seeds was responsible 

 for curtailing the planting of some crops, such as potatoes, beans 

 and peas. 



Grass came through the winter well and got a good start 

 except on low ground where it was flooded until late in spring. 

 Everything pointed to a good crop, but much hay was ruined 

 by the heavy rains during cutting season, and much of the first 

 crop was not cut until late August. Where early cutting was 

 done, however, very heavy second crops were harvested. Prices 

 are quoted a little lower than last year, the figures being $20 

 for 1916 against $22.70 for 1915. Massachusetts has the highest 

 figure reported for New England, while the country at large is 

 only quoted at $10.68. 



There has been a decided falling off in corn this year, the 



