Ceop Eeport foe the Month of May, 1897. 



Office of State Board of Agriculture, 

 Boston, Mass., June 1, 1897. 



In Bulletin No. 1, Crop Report for the month of May, 

 we present the first of our series of monthly crop bulletins 

 for the current year. The general style and plan of these 

 bulletins will be much as in former years, but we shall en- 

 deavor to issue them more nearly at the close of the month 

 than has been the case for several seasons past. Contrary 

 to the custom of the several preceding years, the weekly 

 weather-crop bulletins of the Weather Bureau will not be 

 sent to those on our mailing list. Any one desiring to 

 receive these bulletins should send his name and address to 

 J. "VV. Smith, local forecast official, Weather Bureau, Post- 

 office Building, Boston. As in former years, a short article 

 by some specialist of the Board or some other scientist of 

 standing will be included in each issue. This bulletin 

 contains an article on " Small fruits in the home gar- 

 den," by Prof. S. T. Maynard, botanist and pomologist of 

 this Board. 



Eeport on Farm Animals. 



Report No, 145 of the Department of Agriculture states 

 that the decline in the number of horses, first noticed in 

 1894, still continues, having amounted to 5 percent in 189(3. 

 The principal cause of the decrease in numbers is found in the 

 disappearance of inducements to breeding caused by the low 

 price of these animals. This fall jn price is, however, less 

 marked than in previous years, having in turn been checked 

 by the decrease in the number of animals. The reasons 

 found for the depression of this branch of animal industry 

 are the substitution of electric motors for horse-power in 

 many directions, the increasing use of the bicycle, and the 



