34 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



'• insomuch that the grass and corn were so scorched there was 

 little likelihood of any harvest." This continued till the 12th 

 of June. 



.Most farmers have the impression that there was little diffi- 

 culty in raising good crops of wheat in the early periods of 

 New England; but from the testimony of many old diaries, it is 

 evident that it was always an uncertain crop. In 1663, early 

 in July, "the best wheat (as also some other grain) was 

 blasted in many places, so that whole acres were not worth 

 reaping. We have had much drought the last summer, (1662,) 

 and excess of wet several other springs, but this of blasting 

 is the first so general and remarkable that I yet heard of in 

 New England." But this blasting is not unfrequently mentioned 

 afterwards; for the very next year (1664) the wheat was very 

 generally blasted, " and in sundry towns scarce any left," 

 while the latter part of the summer was very droughty, much 

 of the grass being scorched up. The blast returned again in 

 1665 and 1666 with great severity. 



The next dry summer was in 1666, when most of the grain 

 was scorched up, and the Indian corn eaten by the worms. 

 The spring of 1669 was so dry that "the ground in some 

 places began to chop." This was followed in 1670 by another 

 dry summer. 



June 14, 1672, was kept as a day of humiliation in all the 

 churches because of a great drought ; " and the Lord heard 

 prayer, and in hay time much hay was lost by an overmuch 

 rain." In the following year, (1673,) the months of March 

 and April being very cold, many cattle died in all parts of the 

 country for want of hay. 



In 1675, there was some complaint of want of rain; and in 

 16.81, "in June, July and August, was a great drought through- 

 out the country, to the great loss in corn and grasses, valued 

 at many thousand pounds." 



The summer of L685 was also dry. though not enough to do 

 any great injury to the crops. In August, L686, [ncn 

 Mather writes, "A great drought: swamps on lire iu many 

 parts of the country; could not be quenched. The lire burnt 

 under ground in some places six \\'c{." It began early in sum- 

 mer, and continued through June, and till the L8th of duly, 



