the July bulletin, and substitute in place thereof statements 

 relative to the present condition of certain branches of agri- 

 culture as compared with past years, yield and value of some of 

 our principal crops the past season, and other facts which we 

 think will be both interesting and instructive. 



One hundred and eleven returns have been received, 

 samples of which will be found printed in the "Notes of 

 Correspondents." In our choice of these notes we have 

 endeavored to illustrate the present condition of farm work, 

 crops and farming in general. 



In order to get an idea as to the forwardness of the present 

 season as compared with past seasons, the following question 

 was asked : "Do you consider this season earlier than the 

 average? If so, how much earlier?" Of the one hundred 

 and six replies to this question forty-four state the season to 

 be about an average one, fifty-one that it is about one week 

 earlier than the average, and eleven that it is from a week to 

 ten days late. The preponderance of opinion seems to be 

 that the season is an average one in Franklin, Hampshire, 

 Hampden, Bristol, Plymouth and Dukes counties, and earlier 

 in Berkshire, Worcester, Middlesex, I^ssex, Norfolk, Barn- 

 stable and Nantucket. Without doubt grass is unusually 

 well advanced, and fruit and potatoes are also a little earlier 

 than usual. On account of the cold, wet weather, planting 

 and general farm work is behindhand, and corn, ])eans and 

 vegetables are backward. It is our opinion, that, taking 

 everything into consideration, the present season is about an 



average one. 



In order to ascertain what insects are at present causing 

 the most trouble, this question was asked: " What insects 

 are doing the most damage in your locality?" About the 

 same number of replies were received, and more than 

 three-fourths refer to the presence of the tent caterpillar 

 (^Clisocatnjja Americana). From the seemingly universal 

 prevalence of this pest, it would appear to be full time steps 

 were taken towards lessening the amount of damage done by 

 it. As the wild cherry trees along the roadsides are breed- 

 ing-places, it would seem that the suggestion advanced by 

 one of the correspondents, that the granges and farmers' 

 clubs take hold of the matter, is a good one, and that the 



