Ceop Eepoet for the Month of September, 1908. 



Office of State Board of Agriculture, 

 Boston, Mass., Oct. 1, 1908. 



Bulletin ISTo. 5, Crop Report for September, is herewith 

 presented. The article in this month's issue is on a subject 

 which has been in our minds for some time. The great 

 number of neglected apple orchards and apple trees in the 

 State is a source of great loss to our farmers each year, when 

 we compare the returns received from them with what could 

 be obtained with careful and reasonable treatment. Believ- 

 ing that there are many farmers who would be glad to bring 

 these trees and orchards to good bearing condition if the way 

 were pointed out, we include an article on " Renovating Old 

 Orchards," by Prof. F. C. Sears, professor of pomology 

 at the Massachusetts Agricultural College. Though the 

 subject is treated from the standpoint of the orchard, every- 

 thing included in it is equally applicable to the neglected 

 single tree in the fence corner or beside the road. 



Progress of the Season. 



The monthly report of the Crop Reporting Board of the 

 Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Agriculture 

 (Crop Reporter for September, 1908) shows the condition 

 of corn on September 1 to have been 79.4, as compared with 

 82.5 a month earlier, 80.2 on Sept. 1, 1907, 90.2 in 1906, 

 and a ten-year average of 81. 



The average condition of spring wheat as harvested was 

 77.6, as compared with 80.7 on August 1, 77.1 in 1907, 83.4 

 in 1906, and a ten -year average of 77.9. 



The condition of the oat crop when harvested was 69.7, 

 as compared with 76.8 on August 1, 65.5 in 1907, 81.9 in 

 1906, and a ten-year average of 80.7. 



