57 



well, about 50 per cent ; there has been vei-y little drop. Fruit crop 

 prospect: apple, 50; pear, 75; peach, 50; plum, 20; cherry, 75; 

 currants, 75; raspberry, 100; blackberry, 100; blueberry, 100. Both 

 methods of sod mulch are practiced in this locality; no clean culture; 

 clover and cow-peas are used as cover crops; buckwheat is also 

 used somewhat. The brown-tail moth and tent caterpillar are very 

 injurious; no fire blight has appeared. The strawberry crop was 

 injured 25 per cent by frost ; prices have been very satisfactory, one- 

 third better than in 1912. Summer spraying for sooty fungus and 

 other diseases is practiced. There is much enthusiasm in regard to 

 apple culture; many trees set this year and many more are con- 

 templating the setting out of orchards; holes dug by dynamite, and 

 much other farming is done by dynamite in this section. i 



Plymouth County. 



North Marshfield (H. E. Gardner). — There has been no frost 

 damage to fruits this year. There was a 60 per cent set of tree 

 fruits ; considerable drop. Fruit prospect : apple, poor ; pear, good ; 

 peach, i^lum and cherry, fair; currant, good; raspberry, good; 

 blackberry, fair; blueberry, poor. The sod is removed from around 

 the base of the trees and the soil is well worked; legumes are used 

 as cover crops; sometimes strawberries are planted between the 

 rows, but they do not do well, owing to lack of light. The prices 

 of strawberries have been away above the average, — 10 per cent 

 better than in 1912. Summer spraying is practiced with excellent 

 effect. The main product of this town is strawberries; there are few 

 orchards, and these are not run according to modern methods; we 

 pride ourselves upon raising the best strawberries in New England. 



Bridgewater (L. C. Stearns). — Frost damage: apples, 25; 

 peaches, 10; plums, 50; chei-ries, 10; tree fruits set fairly well, 

 about 75 per cent; some drop of peaches. Fruit prospect: apple, 

 80; pear, 70; peach, 100; plum, 90; cherry, 90; currant, 90; rasp- 

 berry, 80; blackberry, 100; blueberry, 100. Very little cultivation 

 of any kind in the orchards; legumes are seldom used as cover crops. 

 Damage by tent caterpillar has been most in evidence; a small 

 amount of fire blight has appeared. The strawberry crop was in- 

 jured 10 per cent by frost; prices have been rather higher than 

 usual. To my knowledge spraying is not being practiced for sooty 

 fungus and other diseases. Fruits in this section, both large and 

 small, are badly neglected as to spraying, feeding and mulching. 



Barnstable County. 

 Truro (M. F. Corey). — Frosts damaged 50 per cent of the plum 

 crop. Tree fruits did not set well, and there has been considerable 

 drop. Fruit prospect: apple, light; pear, peach and plum, medium. 



