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residnum. Oats better than last year ; barley not so good. Stone 

 drains covered with about two feet of soil are used for drainage. 



Southborough (E. F. Collins). — Cora is good; more than an 

 average crop. Very little rowen except ou reclaimed meadows 

 and highly fertilized fields. Potatoes are a good crop with no 

 blight or rot. Apples are the largest yield and the best quality 

 for many years. Pastures are rather dry and there is not much 

 feed. Most of the best farms are drained with box stone drains. 



Blackstone (L. R. Daniels). — Corn in fair condition, prospect 

 of an average crop. liowen about a two-thirds crop. Potatoes 

 nearly an average crop ; blight as usual, no rot yet. Apples, 

 pears and grapes 100; peaches scarce; cranberries 75. Pasturage 

 has suffered from drought ; condition 90. Oats and barley for 

 feeding green are as good as last year. Not much drainage of 

 late years as there is enough land without it. In low swampy 

 lands broad open ditches with sloping sides have been used with 

 good effect. Where there is considerable fall, a narrow ditch 2|- 

 to 3 feet deep, with a foot of small stones in the bottom, is a 

 method that has proved good. No tile or pipe used for cultivated 

 land. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Groton (Daniel Needham). — Corn is very little below the 

 average. Rowen is very poor. Late potatoes are not good, though 

 there is no blight or rot. Apples and pears are excellent. Pas- 

 turage is in very poor condition. Oats and barley average crops. 

 Not much attention paid to drainage. If our farmers delay sell- 

 ing their hay it is not unreasonable to suppose that they will 

 realize the full money value from this season's operations. 



Littleton (G. W. Sanderson). — Indian corn is in good condi- 

 tion. Rowen is not an average crop. Potatoes are small and 

 few in a hill. Apples are a big crop, also pears, no peaches. 

 Pastures are dry. No oats and barley raised except for fodder. 

 Low lands are drained by open ditches. 



Chelmsford (P. P. Perham). — Corn is a good growth but is 

 suffering now from drought. The prospect for rowen is very poor. 

 Late potatoes promise fair, very little blight. Apples and pears 

 plenty, grapes and cranberries very few. Old pastures look quite 

 parched and brown from the drought. Early sown oats and 

 barley were a large crop. Some draining is done here, stone are 

 used in nearly every case. 



Wilmii)gton (E. N. Eames). — There will be an average crop 

 of Indian corn. Rowen has suffered much from drought and is 

 light. Potatoes are looking well, have heard of no complaints of 

 rot or blight. Apples and pears very heavy crops, no peaches, 



