15 



During the month of June ino rain, except scattered 

 showers, fell throughout the State, and conditions at the close 

 were just the reverse of the previous month. The conditions 

 were exceedingly favorable for the growth of the hay crop 

 and were conducive to a good growth of vegetation in general. 

 With the advent of the warm weather insects became active 

 and did considerable damage during this month, potato 

 beetles being reported as most destructive in the greatest 

 number of instances, although cutworms, tent caterpillars, 

 gypsy and brown-tail moths, and the elm-leaf beetle, were 

 quite generally reported. Corn was very late at this time, 

 much seed having rotted in the ground so that many fields 

 had to be replanted in whole or in part. The rains of early 

 spring were not sufficient to offset the damage done by the 

 droughts of the previous years, and the hay crop was not 

 quite up to normal. Acreage of early potatoes was less than 

 usual, and in places only late varieties were planted, owing 

 to the excessive wet weather of May. All market-garden 

 crops were backward but looked fairly well at this time. 

 The supply of dairy products was somewhat smaller, and 

 prices were a little higher than last year. Dairy cows were 

 reported scarce in number and high in price. Although the 

 early rains probably helped out pastures, they were at this 

 time beginning to show the effects of the dry weather. The 

 prospects for apples were fair to good; peaches and pears a 

 light crop ; plums were about as usual ; cherries were a normal 

 crop; strawberries yielded well in most sections, the earlier 

 varieties showing up better than the later. Other berries 

 offered bright prospects provided sufficient rain was forth- 

 coming. Local frosts from the 6th to the 10th and from the 

 13th to the 15th did some damage in various parts of the 

 State. The special question in regard to irrigation showed 

 that this method of supplementing scanty rainfall is practiced 

 only in the market-garden sections in the vicinity of the 

 larger cities. 



The drought continued during the month of July with 

 disastrous effects in some cases. The reports on insect dam- 

 age showed that the potato beetle was doing the greatest 



