Crop Eeport por the Month of August, 1896. 



Office of State Board of Agriculture, 



Boston, Mass., Sept. 1, 1896. 



Bulletin No. 4, Crop Report for the month of August, is 

 herewith presented. Particular attention is called to the 

 article on " The Crow in Massachusetts," by the ornithologist 

 of the Board of Agriculture, which is printed at the end of 

 this bulletin. 



Progress of the Season. 



Report No. 140, New Series (August, 1896), of the Statis- 

 tician of the United States Department of Agriculture, indi- 

 cates an improvement in the condition of corn over that 

 reported last month of 3.6 points, or from 92.4 to 96. 

 A bountiful harvest is expected in Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. 



The condition of spring wheat has fallen since July report 

 from 93.3 to 78.9, a decline of 14.4 points. It has suffered 

 from the army worm in Wisconsin, so much so that in the 

 north-eastern part of the State harvesters have been run 

 night and day to secure the grain before its complete de- 

 struction. The crop has also been damaged in several States 

 by rust and heavy rains. 



The condition of oats has fallen to 77.3 per cent from 96.3 

 July 1, and the decline has occurred in all parts of the coun- 

 try, being due to the army worm, chinch bugs, heavy rains 

 and rust. 



The condition of spring rye also has fallen within the last 

 month, being 88 August 1, as against 98.6 July 1. 



The condition of barley has fallen 5.2 points since July 1, 

 or from 88.1 to 82.9. In California, the principal barley 

 State, the condition has improved from 67 to 73. 



The acreage of this year's buckwheat crop is about the 

 same as last year's acreage, and the condition of the crop is 



