No. 4.] RErORT OF SECRETARY. ix 



came to the winter with well-filled barns and full stocks of 

 cattle. Pastures suffered from drought, and many farmers 

 fed both grain and hay at the barn during the summer 

 months, thus reducing the profits of the business somewhat, 

 as well as the stocks of hay for winter use. Grain and hay 

 continue high iu price, though grain has receded a trifle from 

 its highest level, and dairymen should endeavor to raise as 

 much as possible for their own use. The increasing diffi- 

 culty in securing good cows leads to the suggestion that profit 

 in dairying will soon come to depend on judicious breeding 

 of dairy stock. Many dairymen could doubtless profitably 

 cut down their total j)roduction and give more attention to 

 the raising of their own stock and the production of their 

 own feeds. A good profit on a small volume of product is 

 to be preferred to a small or vanishing profit on a large 

 volume. 



The ajDple crop, though not heavy in yield, was one of the 

 best of recent years in quality. More farmers sprayed their 

 fruit trees than ever before and the result was an increased 

 ]iercentage of JSTo. 1 fruit. Unsprayed fruit was also better 

 than usual, but not to be compared with that secured where 

 intelligent spraying was followed. The demand for New 

 England fruit of good quality was greater than ever before, 

 and it seems likely that the public is convinced of its superi- 

 ority to a greater extent than we have commonly supposed. 

 It remains for the farmers and fruit growers to hold and in- 

 crease this demand by producing the grade of goods that is 

 called for. The officials of the Boston & Maine Railroad 

 report that many carloads of New England apples were sent 

 to the middle west, where they competed successfully with 

 those from the far west and commanded much higher prices 

 than the native apples. This shows what may be done in 

 the way of invading the markets of other sections, but for 

 the present we would better bend our energies to recapturing 

 and holding our home market, our most valuable possession 

 and one too long neglected. 



Market gardeners generally had a good year, though some 

 crops, such as celery, were very short in many sections. 

 Prices have been good as a rule and the demand well sus- 



