The following question was asked to ascertain the present 

 condition of potatoes : " Have you observed rot or scab in 

 potatoes ? " With a very few exceptions correspondents 

 report that rot has not yet appeared. Quite a number refer 

 to the prevalence of scab in their neighl)orhood. It is 

 estimated that the crop of early potatoes is an average one. 

 On account of the severe drought it is doubtful if late pota- 

 toes yield even a fair average. On light land in many 

 sections the crop is reported as very light ; and the tubers, 

 though only part grown, are ripening off. It is hoped that 

 the general rain of the 25th and 26th and later showers will 

 improve the prospects of this crop, but it may be that the 

 rain has come too late. 



The fourth question asked was : " Have small fruits been 

 satisfactory in yield and price?" The replies to this ques- 

 tion indicate that, on the whole, the yield of small fruits has 

 been fair and the prices received good. In most sections the 

 dry weather shortened the yield very materially of all save 

 strawberries. 



In order to ascertain whether the dry weather — which set 

 in June 15 and lasted until the general rain of July 25, only 

 broken at rare intervals in some few sections by light local 

 showers — was generally injurious to farm crops, the follow- 

 ing question was asked : "Have crops in your neighborhood 

 suffered from drought?" The correspondents are quite 

 unanimous in the opinion that it was injurious to potatoes, 

 fruit, pastures, vines, garden truck, mowing lands and dairy 

 products. It was felt most severely on light lands. In all 

 probability its effects would have been more serious had it not 

 been for the excessive amount of wet weather of the past two 

 seasons, which caused the ground to be thoroughly saturated 

 with moisture, so that, when dry weather came, there was a 

 considerable supply in the ground ; and also because of the 

 many cool nights and consequent heavy dews during the dry 

 period. The dry weather was favorable for corn and tobacco, 

 except on light land, for checking rust on oats, for securing 

 the hay crop and for harvesting rye. 



It is reported that, in the market garden regions in the 

 vicinity of Boston, there have been serious losses from the 

 drought. Vines arc backward and many fields of cucumbers 



