15 



ten years ago. With the exception of one week this month has 

 been very cloudy, with a great deal of rain. The apple crop is 

 short; prices $1.50 to 82 per barrel. Potatoes that were dug 

 late do not rot in the cellar ; earl}' dug ones do. Heavy crop of 

 fall feed. 



P. J. Kemp. 



NANTUCKET COUNTY. 



Nantucket. — On the whole, I think this season has been a 

 profitable one for our farmers. Crop of Indian corn an average 

 one. It is about all cribbed and is in splendid condition. The 

 mangold beets as a general thing are above an average. Turnips 

 are looking splendidly ; but we do not harvest them here till we 

 have a good freeze, for then they are sweeter and keep better, 

 and cannot be beat in quality by any State in New England. 

 There is but one mortgaged farm that I can find. The number 

 of deserted farms in this vicinity is not greater than it was ten 

 years ago. 



C. W. Gardner. 



NORFOLK COUNTY. 

 Franklin. — Crop of Indian corn not an average one. Root 

 crops up to an average in quantity and quality. The season has 

 been an average one for our farmers. Number of deserted farms 

 in this vicinity greater than it was ten years ago. If the whole 

 tax is levied upon the land, the farmers are driven to the wall. 



C. M. Allen. 



Medivay. — Crop of Indian corn not an average one. Root crops 

 not up to an average in quantity and quality. Season not a very 

 profitable one. Rot and blight have been much more prevalent 

 than usual. Number of deserted farms in this vicinity is not 

 greater than it was ten years ago. The number of deserted farms 

 is no criterion of the prosperity of the farming interest. Some 

 farms are deserted and allowed to grow to wood because the land 

 would not pay for cultivating, — either because of natural poverty 

 of soil or roughness, making cultivation expensive ; or isolation, 

 making home there undesirable. It is wise to abandon such 

 places. The farming interest has greatly improved hereabouts. 

 The tendency is to higher farming, better crops, more stock and 

 better kept. The farmer now must use agricultural machinery to 

 be successful, and a farm which is so rough as to preclude its use 

 had better be abandoned. 



Monroe Morse. 



