Crop Report for the Month of August, 1897. 



Opfice of State Board of Agriculture, 

 Boston, Mass., Sept. 1, 1897. 



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

 herewith presented. Particular attention is called to the 

 article on " Systematic Feeding and Watering as a Prevent- 

 ative of Disease in Horses," by Dr. Jas. B. Paige veteri- 

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

 end of this bulletin. 



Progress of the Season. 



Report No. 151 (August, 1897) of the Statistician of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture indicates an im- 

 provement in the condition of corn of 1.3 points, the aver- 

 age havino- risen from 82.9 to 84.2. This average is 11.8 

 points lower than at the corresponding period last year, and 

 3 points lower than the August average for the last ten 

 years. There is a more or less decided improvement in 

 nearly all the principal corn-producing States. 



The condition of spring w^heat is 86.7, being 4.5 points 

 lower than last month, but 7.8 points higher than last year, 

 and 4.5 points higher than the August average for the last 

 ten years. 



The average condition of spring rye is 89.8, as compared 

 with 90 last month, 88 on Aug. 1, 1896, and 86.8 the August 

 average for the last ten years. 



The average condition of oats is 86, as compared with 

 87.5 last month, 77.3 on Aug. 1, 1896, and 83.2 the August 

 average for the last ten years. The consolidated returns 

 indicate that about 10 per cent of the oat crop of last year 

 is still on hand. Both the actual amounts and the percent- 

 ages are highest in the States of principal production. 



