10 



Indian Corn. 



The corn crop was reported as still backward, but growing 

 very rapidly with the advent of warm weather, and generally 

 promises well with seasonable weather during August. There 

 were some reports of its being checked by drought, but they 

 were not numerous, and this condition has doubtless been 

 relieved, temporarily at least, by the recent showers. No 

 appreciable gain is noted in the use of silos, even in sections 

 where they have been installed in considerable numbers. It 

 is impossible to say, with any degree of accuracy, what pro- 

 portion of the whole crop is used for ensilage, it varying from 

 the bulk of the crop in some strictly dairy sections to almost 

 nothing in the southeastern counties. There are some reports 

 of the grain being allowed to mature and the stover shredded 

 and put into the silo, a practice common in some States, but 

 rarely practiced in Massachusetts. 



The Hay Crop. 

 The hay crop appears to be uneven, some sections reporting 

 a heavy crop while in others it was practically a failure. A 

 summary of the returns shows 67 correspondents who consider 

 the crop average or above, and 69 who consider it below the 

 usual average. The number of those who report favorably 

 is swelled by almost solid returns from the southeastern 

 counties, where the crop appears to have compared un- 

 usually well with other years. For the rest of the State, 

 where it is proper to say the greater part of the crop is 

 found, the returns would indicate a crop considerably below 

 the normal, probably three-fourths of a normal crop, or even 

 less. It was generally secured in excellent condition, there 

 being practically no damage from rain, and the correspondents 

 are unanimous in reporting the quality of the crop as ex- 

 cellent. Rowen had not started well at time of making 

 returns, owing to dry weather, and copious rains are needed 

 if the second crop is to be of any particular value. 



