36 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing a short crop of hay and great distress. In 1727 came 

 another severe drought. The hay crop was again cut short, 

 and many cattle died from starvation during the following 

 winter. The spring and summer of 1728 were also very dry. 

 especially in the month of June, when there began to be great 

 suffering for want of rain. Here we have three years in suc- 

 cession in which droughts occurred. In 1730, July 7, "The 

 drought came on very severely, and prevailed in such a manner 

 as was never known." November 5. — " There is, I think, more 

 grass now than in the summer." 



The year 1737 was marked by its excessive dryness. Smith 

 says, April 21, "All the talk is, no corn, no hay, and there 

 is not a peck of potatoes to eat in all the eastern country." 

 April 25. — "No grass at all." May 17. — " The grass don't grow, 

 for want of rain ; hay very scarce." October 23. — " It was never 

 known to be so dry ; no sawing nor grinding." November 24. — 

 " No grinding ; we have had a bag of corn go from mill to mill 

 for about two months, and not ground yet." During the sum- 

 mer of this year there was great scarcity of corn, and many 

 went about begging their neighbors to sell them a quart at any 

 price, to keep them from starvation. In 1738, too, there was 

 a drought in some sections of the country, " in such a manner 

 as the like was never known." 



The following spring (1739) was also very dry; there was 

 scarcely any rain for a month. Here we find another series of 

 three years of drought. 



In 1743 there were "millions of devouring worms in armies, 

 threatening to cut off every green thing. Hay very scarce, 

 £7 and £8 a load." In the fall there was no rain for many 

 weeks, so that, in November, the mills were stopped. 



June 26, 1746. — " It comes on a very dry time." July 9. — " A 

 melancholy drought advances." 31. — " The ground is exceed- 

 ing dry." August 15. — "It is thought the present is the 

 greatest drought that ever was in New England." August 24. — 

 " Plentiful showers." 



This drought cut oil', to a great extent, both the corn and 

 the grass, and greatly increased the price of both. Corn rose 

 from ten to twenty-six shillings a bushel : and in November of 

 this year, hay sold in Boston at L'20 a load. During the an- 



