9 



should progress very favorably, unless weather conditions 

 are unseasonable in future as to lack of heat and rainfall. 

 A larger proportion of the crop than usual appears to have 

 been put in with a view to harvesting as a grain crop, due 

 in a large measure to the very high prices of grain for the 

 past year. 



The Hay Crop. 



The wet, cool weather of May gave the grass crop a splen- 

 did start and at the opening of the month conditions were 

 very favorable. The weather of June was unusually hot and 

 dry, there being practically no rain in many sections from 

 May 30 to June 24, and the hay crop suffered especially from 

 these conditions. It will generally be light on old fields, 

 where favorable conditions as to moisture are always neces- 

 sary for a good crop, and on new fields it will hardly attain 

 the weight that it would with suitable conditions. It is 

 rather difficult to predict just what the outcome will be, but 

 a conservative estimate would seem to be that the hay crop 

 in the State will be at least one-fourth below the normal. 



Eaely Potatoes. 

 The acreage of early potatoes shows a slight increase over 

 former years, though reports are much more mixed and con- 

 tradictory than in the case of Indian corn. The crop appears 

 to be in excellent condition, and it is probable that the recent 

 showers came in time to prevent serious damage. It must 

 be borne in mind, however, that showers, even when heavy, 

 have not the permanent beneficial effect of the same amount 

 of moisture in the form of a steady rain, and it is therefore 

 necessary that there should be plentiful and seasonable rains 

 during July if the crop of early potatoes is to fulfill present 

 expectations. 



Eaely Mabket-gaeden Ceops. 

 Early market-garden crops generally gave good yields, in 

 many instances unusually heavy ones, but the prices have 

 been so low that it is doubtful if most market-gardeners can 

 show Hu average profit for the season to the present date. 

 Peas are reported as just coming into the market in many 



