18 



corn and Hungarian raised for forage ; condition fair. Market 

 garden crops have suffered from drought ; prices low. Apples 

 fair ; pears, peaches and grapes light. Pasturage is very dry. 

 Rye an extra crop ; oats light. 



Chesterfield (Horatio Bisbee). — Potato bugs are doing the 

 most damage. Corn is fairly good ; little will be put into the silo. 

 Hay a small cx'op of very good quality. Fodder corn, Hungarian 

 and barley with some hayed oats are raised to eke out the hay 

 crop. Poor prospect for all kinds of fruit. Pastures are rather 

 short on account of dry weather. 



Goshen ( Alvan Barrus) . — Corn looks fairly well ; but little will 

 be put in the silo. The hay crop was 15 per cent short in quan- 

 tity but of first-class quality. Barley, oats and some corn will be 

 fed green. Dry weather is cutting short the potato crop. Apples 

 are very uneven and all other fruits uncertain. Pastures are suf- 

 fering from dry weather. Rye, oats and barley suffered from 

 drought. 



HAMPDEN COUNTY. 



Blandford (E. W. Boise). — The horn fly is very troublesome. 

 Corn in good condition ; two or three new silos built this season. 

 Hay a full average crop of extra quality. Oats and pease, and 

 barley are raised to supplement the hay crop, but are below aver- 

 age on account of rust. Potatoes are much below average. 

 Apples and pears are good ; cranberries injured by May frosts. 

 Pasturage short. Rye heavy ; oats and barley below average. 



West SpringfieJd (T. A. Rogers). — The horn fly is the most 

 troublesome. Corn is looking well ; perhaps five per cent will go 

 into the silo. Hay was about an average crop of A No. 1 quality. 

 Oats and fodder corn are early forage crops ; later ones are barley 

 and pease, turnips and cabbage. Market garden crops are looking 

 well ; potatoes above average ; price rather under. Apples aver- 

 age ; pears light ; peaches very few ; grapes good. Pasturage very 

 short but improving. Rye a very good crop ; oats are nearly all 

 bayed. 



West Springfield (J. N. Bagg). — A twenty-five mile drive west- 

 ward on the 27th inst. showed corn and tobacco very promising. 

 More oxen worked than I have seen for years ; mowing with cattle 

 seemed a novelty. Orchards are heavy with apples and gardens 

 green. The farmers are hoeing generally. Did not see any play- 

 ing ball or practising with bicycles. They get gymnastic exercises 

 in another way. If they take a vacation will be satisfied with an 

 arm chair in the shade for a few hours. The country is safe so 

 long as the farmers stick to their homes and work. 



