xxxii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Summary of Crop Conditions, 1911. 



May opened cold and dry, and continued dry, but warm 

 weather from the middle of the month on brought vegetation 

 forward so that it was fully normal at the close. Early crops 

 were, however, slow in germination. Grass started late, made 

 slow growth mitil the hot weather came, and was then checked 

 by drought. Feed in pastures was generally short. Fall 

 seeding winterkilled more than usual. The fruit bloom was 

 generally unusually heavy, with no frosts to do damage. 

 Insects were rather more plentiful than usual, with cutworms 

 very prevalent and doing much damage in eastern sections. 

 Gypsy and brown-tail moths continue to extend their terri- 

 tory, and the San Jose scale is more prevalent than ever. 

 Planting was delayed by the cold and dry weather, and in 

 many sections was behind the normal. Germination of seeds 

 was retarded by drought. Farm help appeared to be rather 

 more plentiful than usual, with wages moving upward, with 

 $25 per month with board the average wage. 



With the reports for June an unusual amount of damage 

 from cutworms was apparent, but their ravages were then 

 practically over for the season. Other insects were a little 

 more troublesome than usual. The acreage of field corn was 

 not increased to the degree indicated by returns for May, 

 owing to failure to germinate, but was greater than for several 

 years. The crop was not in the best condition, owing to 

 cool weather. Haying had hardly begun in any section, and 

 a light crop was in prospect, despite the improvement follow- 

 ing the rains. Clover germinated poorly and winterkilled 

 badly. The acreage of early potatoes was decidedly decreased, 

 and the crop was somewhat backward. Early market-garden 

 crops suffered from drought, cold weather and cutworms, 

 and were generally liglit in yield and high in price. The 



