Ckop Eepoet for the Month of August, 1903. 



Office of State Board of Agriculture, 

 Boston, Mass., Sept. 1, 1903. 



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

 presented herewith. Particular attention is called to the 

 article on " The management of poultry on small farms," by 

 John H. Robinson, editor of "Farm-Poultry," which is 

 printed at the ctose of the bulletin. It is of interest to all 

 farmers who keep poultr}^ and should be especialh' valuable 

 and interestino- to all those who are unable, through their 

 situation, to follow the free range or colony plan. 



Progress of the Season. 



The August returns of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture (Crop Reporter for August, 1903) show the 

 condition of corn on August 1 to have been 78.7, as com- 

 pared with 79.4 on July 1, 8(3.5 on Aug. 1, 1902, 54 at the 

 corresponding date in 1901, and a ten-3^car average of 84.4. 



Preliminary returns indicate a mnter wheat crop of about 

 410,000,000 bushels, or an average of 12.4 bushels per acre, 

 as compared with 13.8 liushels last year. The average con- 

 dition of spring wheat on August 1 was 77.1, as compared 

 with 82.5 a month earlier, 89.7 in 1902, 80.3 the year 

 previous, and a ten-j^ear average of 80.2. 



The average condition of the oat crop Avas 79.5, as com- 

 pared with 84.3 a month earlier, 89.4 in 1902, 73.6 in 1901, 

 and a ten-year average of 82.6. The proportion of the oat 

 crop of last year still in the hands of farmers was estimated 

 at 7.4 per cent, as compared with 4.2 per cent of the crop 

 of 1901 in farmers' hands a year ago, 5.9 per cent of that of 

 1900 the year previous, and an eight-year average of 7.4 per 

 cent. 



The average condition of barley on August 1 Avas 83.4, 

 against 86.8 a month earher, 90.2 in 1902, 8().9 in 1901, 

 and a ten-vear avorao-e of 83.4. 



