xl BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



During the month of June no rain, except scattered showers, 

 fell throughout the State, and conditions at the close were just 

 the reverse of the previous month. The conditions were ex- 

 ceedingly 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 in- 

 stances, although cutworms, tent caterpillars, g}'psy 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 suffi- 

 cient 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 

 IMay. 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 pas- 

 tures, they were at this time beginning to show the effects of 

 the dry weather. The prospect for apples was fair to good; 

 peaches and pears a light crop; plums were about as usual; 

 cherries w^ere 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 forthcoming. 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 dis- 

 astrous effects in some cases. The reports on insect damage 

 showed that the potato beetle was doing the greatest amount 

 of damage, and the elm-leaf beetle and plant lice were quite 

 generally reported. Lidian corn at this time was about two 



