Last year the general opinion seemed to be that the month 

 of June opened under less favorable conditions, agricult- 

 urally speaking, than was true of the previous year. 



Most of the correspondents in answer to the above ques- 

 tion refer to the present season as being either late or back- 

 ward. A number refer to it as being cold. Some speak 

 of it as being an average season and a number as beino; 

 favorable though late. A few state that they consider the 

 season less favorable than last. 



The second question asked was, "Does the season now 

 promise to be a favorable one for the farmer ? " 



Last year in answering this question the correspondents 

 were about evenly divided in their opinion as to the outlook 

 for the future. This year ninety-six correspondents answer 

 yes to the above question ; four that the season promises to 

 be an average one ; and eleven that it does not promise to 

 bean average one. On account of a dry April and cool, 

 wet weather in May, the outlook for the hay crop is excel- 

 lent. Plant>ng, however, has been delayed and considerable 

 seed has failed to germinate. 



Report No. 94 (April, 1892) of the Statistician of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture states that the 

 April returns make the average condition of winter wheat 

 on the 1st of April, 81.2. The seeding was generall}^ late, 

 in the west especially, and in the south-west later than in 

 the States of the Atlantic ,coast. A comparatively mild win- 

 ter, with a general abundance of forage, has been favorable 

 for a high general average in the condition of horses, and 

 they have been quite free from serious disorders during the 

 past year. The percentage of losses is lower than for two 

 years past, being 1.5 per cent, as against 1.7 in 1891 and 

 1.6 in 1890. The number of horses in Massachusetts is 

 given as 64,464; losses, 1,096, or 1.7 per cent. The aver- 

 age condition of stock throughout the country falls below 

 that of the previous two years, when it was relatively high, 

 the average for 1890 being 94.1; that of 1891, 95; and 

 that of 1892, 93.2, out of a possible 100. The losses for 

 the past year, both on account of winter exposure and from 

 all other causes, have been less than for the preceding year. 

 The number of milch cows, oxen and other cattle in Massa- 



