11 



Pastures and Mowings. 

 Not for several years have the early reports in regard to 

 pastures and mowings been so favorable. The copious rains 

 of the past month have given both a good start and grass is 

 everywhere thick and strong. Fall seeding generally win- 

 tered well and the spring rains have aided it in securing a 

 good start. The promise now is for a full hay crop and 

 abundant feed in pastures. 



The Fruit Bloom. 

 Apples made a remarkably full bloom, considering the 

 heavy crop of last year, although not up to that of a regular 

 bearing year. Early varieties bloomed more fully than did 

 winter ones. Pears, plums, cherries and quinces made a 

 full average bloom. The peach bloom can hardly be called 

 full, but is still much above the usual bloom for this section. 

 Small fruits and wild berries generally blossomed well. The 

 fruit bloom as a whole may be spoken of as average. 



Insects. 



Eather less damage than usual from insects has been 

 reported. Tent caterpillars are the most common, but ap- 

 pear to be doing rather less damage than usual. But little 

 serious damage from canker worms as yet. Currant worms 

 and cut worms are present in about the usual numbers. 

 Other insects mentioned are potato beetles, wire worms, horn 

 flies, asparagus beetles, white grubs, squash bugs, and cab- 

 bage maggots. A new imported insect pest reported is the 

 brown-tailed moth (^Euprociis chrysorrhoea) which is doing 

 much damage in portions of Somerville and Cambridge. 

 A space of two square miles is known to be infested by 

 the insect. It is there present in great numbers and unless 

 prompt measures are taken to check its ravages it promises 

 to become an extremely serious pest. 



Spraying. 



Spraying is not practised to anything like the extent 

 which it should be, except by those who make fruit growing 

 a specialty. This is doubtless due in many cases to a mis- 



