36 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Apparently the fruit crops this year were damaged somewhat 

 less by the ice storm of late November, 1921, than had been 

 expected. Chilling temperatures, frosts and freezes in late 

 April and May killed a considerable part of the apple fruit 

 buds, and early predictions were for a very short apple crop. 

 However, the prospect for the crop gradually improved. 



Since July 1, 1921, the crop-reporting service for Massa- 

 chusetts has been conducted co-operatively with the other New 

 England States and the Federal Department of Agriculture. 

 The work is conducted from one central office located within 

 this State. This form of service is now effective in most of 

 the United States and the results have been very satisfactory. 

 Duplication and contradiction in the crop reports are pre- 

 vented, a superior service is built up, closer contacts within the 

 State are assured and the costs are kept at a minimum. Be- 

 sides general improvement in all parts of the service here, much 

 wider dissemination of the information and crop reports has 

 been obtained through the daily press and many agricultural, 

 financial and trade papers. 



A new feature this season was the Weekly Crop Notes which 

 gave current information on leading crops, live stock and 

 related subjects of public interest. These notes were sent 

 out by radio, Saturday evenings, from stations at Medford, 

 Worcester and Springfield, and were furnished the press. One 

 of the most valuable parts of this service consists of special 

 surveys of cash crops. These furnish, in convenient form, an 

 inventory of exact information regarding such crops. Such 

 surveys have been finished for the acreage of Connecticut 

 Valley onions and tobacco, and one is under way for the cran- 

 berry crop. The program of work for the coming two years 

 includes surveys of the commercial apple and peach crops and 

 a livestock reporting service suited to New England's needs. 

 A great deal more use is being made of crop information by all 

 people concerned with agriculture, and every effort is made to 

 obtain the highest possible accuracy. Frequent reports were 

 issued covering truck crops outside New England but shipped 

 to markets here. 



, The entire crop of apples was somewhat larger than the ten- 

 year average, being estimated at 3,010,000 bushels against the 

 short crop last year of 1,125,000 bushels and 3,575,000 in 1920. 

 The crop of commercial apples estimated at 461,000 barrels 



