BERKSHIRE SOCIETY. 109 



this, there were seven entered of orchards, and three of 

 dairies, which swells the number of entries, which demanded our 

 attention, to one hundred and seventy-one. Of this number, six 

 were winter wheat. This crop, we think, has fallen far short, 

 in production, of that reported by your Committee the last year, 

 although the crops which were entered for premium were good, 

 and will yield to the grower a fair compensation for his labor. 

 The depredations of the insect, which has for a number of years 

 been the death of the wheat-grower, are still visible in a small 

 degree, but we entertain the hope that the time is not far distant 

 when they shall no longer be known among us. We believe 

 that the cultivation of this crop should still be encouraged by 

 this Society, although it cannot be so generally cultivated with 

 success as the spring variety. Of this we found a most luxuri- 

 ant growth, but, at the time of viewing, it was not sufficiently 

 matured to enable us to judge with any degree of certainty of 

 the production. We believe, however, that the result was fa- 

 vorable ; and if so, we hesitate not to say, that the crop of spring 

 wheat has not been better in this county for many years, if ever. 

 That mostly cultivated in this county is the Black Sea variety. 

 Its production is said to be abundant ; but the quality of the flour 

 it yields is generally admitted to be inferior to that of the other 

 varieties grown in this county. Still, we hesitate not to recom- 

 mend its cultivation by the farmers generally, and believe that 

 they need not, and should not, depend on the farmers of the 

 West to supply them with the wheat they need for their own 

 consumption. 



The number of crops of this variety entered for premium was 

 twenty -five. They were all good, and many of them so nearly 

 equal in merit, that it was with much difficulty that we could 

 decide who should become the successful competitors. 



The growth of winter rye, perhaps, was rarely if ever better, 

 but its filling in many cases appeared quite deficient. It is cul- 

 tivated to a considerable extent, and most successfully on the 

 summer fallow. The number of entries of this crop was 22. 



The number of entries of oats was 26. This crop is deprecia- 

 ting in importance, in the opinion of many farmers, and is by 

 most of them considered to be an exhausting crop, although this 



