State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 07/06/03 Issue NH-CW2703 Volume 23, Number 11 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) July 7, 2003 - 4 pm -- Agricultural Summary -- HIGH TEMPERATURES AND SUNSHINE CONTINUE For the week ending July 6, 2003, there were 6.7 days available for field work across New England. Topsoil moisture was rated 12% very short, 25% short, 59% adequate, 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 11% very short, 22% short, 65% adequate, 2% surplus. Pasture condition was rated as 0% very poor, 2% poor, 21% fair, 69% good, 8% excellent. Above average temperatures prevailed last week. Scattered thunderstorms occurred, particularly in northern New England. The region went from cool, wet conditions to very hot and dry over a period of two weeks. Crops have been responding nicely to heat, but they need moisture soon. Major farm activities included: planting vegetables, sweet corn, field corn; transplanting broadleaf tobacco; cutting haylage and making dry hay; harvesting strawberries; spreading manure; mowing; cultivating; hilling potatoes; irrigating; top-dressing and side-dressing fields with fertilizer; monitoring fields; applying herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ----------------------------------------------- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year ----------------------------------------------- -- Percent -- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 12 2 6 Short 25 19 19 Adequate 59 68 58 Surplus 4 11 17 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 11 3 7 Short 22 14 17 Adequate 65 76 71 Surplus 2 7 5 ----------------------------------------------- -- Field Crops Report -- It was another hot and generally dry week in New England last week, great weather for making hay and working in the fields. Growers have reported a high hay yield from the first crop, which was rated in good to fair condition. Second cut hay appeared in better condition than the first crop last week. Field corn leaves were curling in some areas due to the lack of moisture over the past two weeks. Now that potatoes have emerged, New England growers are cultivating and applying herbicides and insecticides. Maine oats and barley remain in good to excellent condition as farmers await August harvest. Broadleaf tobacco transplanting was completed in Massachusetts last week and Connecticut growers should wrap up soon. -- Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report -- FRUIT: Tree fruit crops reacted favorably to the sun and heat over the past two weeks, but rain will be needed soon to help fruit size and condition. Growers mowed and applied fungicides, and some thinned apples and peaches. Hot temperatures and sunshine were ripening strawberries at a rapid pace; 60 percent of the crop was harvested as of July 6. Maine wild blueberry growers were on the lookout for blueberry maggot fly. Bees were busy last week pollinating Massachusetts cranberries. Growers irrigated beds and continued to apply fruit rot fungicides. VEGETABLES: Beets, cabbage, cucumbers, greens, lettuce, peas, radishes, summer squash and zucchini were harvested. Vegetable growers continued with irrigation last week to provide relief from the hot sun. Weeding and cultivating also took place in vegetable fields. Some local sweet corn was not ready for Fourth of July celebrations, as unfavorable spring conditions caused late planting and slow growth. -- Crop Progress Tables -- FIELD CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ------------------------------------------------------- Crop 2003 2002 5-yr Avg Condition ------------------------------------------------------- -- % Emerged -- Barley, ME 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Oats, ME 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Potatoes Maine 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Mass 100 100 100 Good Rhode Isl 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Silage Corn 90 95 95 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 85 95 95 Good/Fair -- % Planted -- Silage Corn 95 99 99 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 95 99 99 Good/Fair Tobacco Broadleaf 95 100 99 Good/Fair -- % Harvested -- Dry Hay First Cut 75 75 80 Good/Fair Second Cut 5 20 15 Good --------------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------------------- -- % Harvested -- Crop 2003 2002 5-yr Avg Condition ---------------------------------------------------------- Apples -- -- -- Fair/Good Peaches -- -- -- Good/Fair Pears -- -- -- Good/Fair Blueberries Highbush -- -- 5 Good/Fair Wild, ME -- -- -- Good Cranberries,MA -- -- -- Good Strawberries 60 70 80 Good/Fair ---------------------------------------------------------- -- Weather Summary -- For the week ending Sunday, July 6, 2003 -------------------------------------------- AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI ---- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 45 94 70 +5 0.00 2.28 NH 41 94 71 +5 0.00 1.42 VT 44 93 71 +5 0.06 1.98 MA 49 93 73 +5 0.00 0.56 RI 56 92 73 +5 0.13 0.81 CT 50 94 73 +3 0.00 0.91 -------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -- Weather Information Table -- Weather Summary For New England Agricultural Statistics Service Prepared By AWIS, Inc. For the Period: Monday June 30, 2003 To: Sunday July 6, 2003 AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAYS ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60F STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DFN ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- ---- MAINE Albion 50 89 70 +3 624 -130 192 -27 Allagash 45 86 65 +2 438 -21 142 +68 Augusta_State_A 57 90 73 +6 724 +17 258 +63 Bangor_Intl_Arp 54 90 72 +6 708 +85 251 +101 Barnard 49 85 69 +5 580 +57 183 +81 Bath 52 89 70 +4 590 -32 175 +23 Bethel 53 90 71 +5 648 +9 219 +63 Brassua_Dam 52 84 68 +5 489 +77 163 +103 Brunswick_ME 56 86 72 +5 645 +23 210 +58 Caribou_Municip 51 84 68 +4 593 +88 214 +120 Corinna 52 87 71 +5 651 +38 221 +79 Danforth 48 89 71 +5 588 +16 208 +77 Dover-Foxcroft 45 87 68 +4 495 -28 152 +50 Durham 51 90 72 +3 570 -181 210 -16 East_Hiram 50 91 71 +5 621 -16 203 +48 Eustis 48 85 67 +6 467 +55 142 +87 Frenchville 47 80 65 +2 549 +90 195 +121 Gray 56 88 73 +7 732 +128 265 +128 Greenville_ME 53 82 68 +4 560 +26 185 +80 Guilford 49 85 70 +5 471 -52 157 +55 Hollis 51 92 72 +6 653 +64 214 +84 Houlton 47 87 70 +6 607 +89 208 +106 Kennebunkport 52 91 70 +0 623 -180 184 -66 Livermore_Falls 48 93 72 +7 661 +135 238 +137 Moosehead 47 86 66 +3 462 +50 138 +78 New_Sharon 54 90 72 +7 641 +115 230 +129 Patten 50 84 68 +4 560 +42 182 +80 Portage 47 86 68 +4 612 +107 223 +129 Portland_ME 56 92 72 +6 681 +77 222 +85 Rangeley 49 87 67 +6 467 +76 136 +89 Sebec_Lake 47 87 69 +5 565 +31 180 +75 Vanceboro 50 85 69 +5 569 +47 189 +87 Waterville 55 89 72 +4 660 -94 217 -2 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 54 92 73 +5 725 -13 253 +40 Benton 52 88 71 +6 635 +18 205 +72 Berlin_AG 51 89 72 +7 666 +57 221 +83 Bethlehem 48 89 69 +5 590 -27 172 +37 Concord 52 93 74 +7 823 +85 302 +89 Diamond_Pond 50 86 67 +6 443 +78 132 +97 First_Conn_Lake 43 85 64 +4 441 +76 117 +82 Greenville 46 94 71 +5 570 -95 186 +24 Keene_AP 50 91 72 +3 809 -56 271 -18 Lakeport 57 92 75 +8 818 +135 309 +124 Marlow 47 86 69 +2 557 -214 173 -53 Mount_Washingto 41 68 53 +6 86 +80 6 +6 North_Conway 53 93 74 +7 755 +73 283 +100 Otter_Brook_Lk 52 90 72 +3 718 -147 234 -55 Plymouth 48 90 70 +6 624 +39 208 +78 Rochester 54 91 73 +5 716 -82 247 -2 Weare 52 89 72 +5 730 -41 231 +5 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 48 90 70 +4 637 +5 200 +53 Bethel 49 93 72 +7 760 +166 254 +118 Burlington_Intl 55 92 75 +7 935 +119 339 +75 East_Haven 44 90 69 +6 610 +130 177 +86 Island_Pond 49 85 69 +7 595 +117 174 +88 Montpelier 49 89 70 +5 644 +26 195 +48 Morrisville_AG 51 92 71 +6 686 +81 214 +69 Mount_Mansfield 49 75 62 +5 318 +101 87 +74 Northfield 48 91 70 +6 665 +121 204 +88 Pownal 49 90 70 +5 686 +48 185 +32 Rochester 51 88 70 +6 659 +65 202 +66 Rutland_AG 52 87 72 +4 735 -133 241 -48 Sunderland 47 86 67 -3 631 -200 158 -105 Sutton 51 87 69 +7 603 +123 177 +86 Townshend_Lake 53 91 72 +4 720 -66 230 -13 Union_Vill_Dam 49 89 72 +4 712 -89 248 -2 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 54 90 73 +7 762 +107 253 +88 Boston/Logan_In 64 93 77 +5 925 -35 348 +7 Greenfield 54 92 73 +3 860 -74 288 -41 New_Bedford 58 91 73 +2 767 -176 239 -83 Otis_AFB 61 84 72 +5 722 +14 223 +27 Plymouth 55 92 73 +4 742 -14 227 -1 Walpole 56 92 75 +6 854 +43 303 +49 West_Medway 56 93 74 +5 868 +57 303 +49 Chicopee/Westov 52 93 75 +2 898 -192 306 -116 Worcester 58 89 73 +5 809 +69 270 +60 Worthington 50 88 70 +4 652 +7 184 +29 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 61 92 75 +5 894 -2 304 -2 Woonsocket 56 92 74 +6 822 +25 276 +41 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 50 87 70 -3 716 -335 204 -201 Bridgeport/Siko 60 90 74 +3 925 -46 327 -29 Hartford/Bradle 54 93 75 +4 1020 -24 374 -28 Norfolk 51 85 70 +4 681 +37 191 +35 Norwich 57 93 74 +4 894 -46 310 -15 Thomaston_Dam 50 93 73 +6 903 +95 308 +64 Willimantic 55 92 74 +5 884 +66 302 +53 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ----- ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 0.69 -0.10 3 2.93 -0.34 12 Allagash 1.23 +0.44 6 2.40 -0.60 13 Augusta_State_A 0.01 -0.74 1 0.53 -2.52 9 Bangor_Intl_Arp 0.07 -0.70 2 1.33 -1.75 7 Barnard 0.41 -0.43 5 2.33 -1.12 14 Bath 0.06 -0.67 2 1.79 -1.46 9 Bethel 0.04 -0.80 1 1.30 -2.33 5 Brassua_Dam 0.81 -0.12 6 2.54 -1.16 13 Brunswick_ME 0.01 -0.72 1 2.04 -1.21 10 Caribou_Municip 2.23 +1.42 7 3.59 +0.73 17 Corinna 0.28 -0.49 2 1.89 -1.39 8 Danforth 1.31 +0.46 5 2.49 -0.92 14 Dover-Foxcroft 0.93 +0.09 4 2.53 -0.92 10 Durham 0.38 -0.44 2 1.98 -1.43 11 East_Hiram 0.00 -0.84 0 1.47 -2.03 9 Eustis 0.95 +0.11 4 2.67 -0.52 11 Frenchville 1.36 +0.57 6 2.43 -0.57 12 Gray 0.19 -0.58 1 2.03 -1.15 10 Greenville_ME 1.88 +1.04 4 2.86 -0.59 10 Guilford 0.83 -0.01 5 2.71 -0.74 13 Hollis 0.00 -0.80 0 1.73 -1.65 10 Houlton 0.82 +0.02 7 1.86 -1.25 15 Kennebunkport 0.05 -0.70 1 2.53 -0.74 11 Livermore_Falls 0.11 -0.72 2 1.17 -2.54 8 Moosehead 2.28 +1.35 6 3.82 +0.12 13 New_Sharon 0.49 -0.34 4 2.78 -0.93 12 Patten 1.03 +0.23 7 2.48 -0.63 14 Portage 1.79 +0.98 6 3.34 +0.48 13 Portland_ME 0.00 -0.77 0 1.34 -1.84 7 Rangeley 0.36 -0.46 3 2.22 -1.19 7 Sebec_Lake 0.77 -0.07 4 2.62 -0.83 12 Vanceboro 1.08 +0.31 7 2.50 -0.50 15 Waterville 0.60 -0.19 2 2.63 -0.64 11 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 0.21 -0.50 3 1.50 -1.46 14 Benton 0.46 -0.36 1 2.20 -1.27 10 Berlin_AG 0.41 -0.46 2 2.87 -0.89 7 Bethlehem 0.50 -0.41 3 1.90 -1.85 10 Concord 0.05 -0.66 1 0.99 -1.97 10 Diamond_Pond 1.42 +0.37 4 3.94 -0.37 11 First_Conn_Lake 1.35 +0.30 4 3.78 -0.53 10 Greenville 0.00 -0.84 0 2.03 -1.40 10 Keene_AP 0.30 -0.52 3 2.30 -1.04 10 Lakeport 0.00 -0.78 0 1.06 -2.14 7 Marlow 0.13 -0.70 2 1.37 -2.01 11 Mount_Washingto 0.84 -0.81 3 4.35 -2.81 11 North_Conway 0.14 -0.73 2 1.46 -2.21 10 Otter_Brook_Lk 0.18 -0.64 2 1.89 -1.45 13 Plymouth 0.15 -0.69 1 1.01 -2.35 8 Rochester 0.00 -0.79 0 2.62 -0.61 10 Weare 0.14 -0.69 3 1.69 -1.69 14 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 0.06 -0.91 1 2.16 -1.98 12 Bethel 0.85 +0.01 1 2.10 -1.33 9 Burlington_Intl 0.24 -0.57 1 2.15 -1.14 10 East_Haven 0.71 -0.27 4 2.96 -1.02 11 Island_Pond 0.70 -0.28 5 3.16 -0.82 11 Montpelier 0.15 -0.55 2 1.48 -1.64 12 Morrisville_AG 0.88 -0.03 3 3.21 -0.54 10 Mount_Mansfield 0.61 -0.88 2 6.26 +0.05 11 Northfield 0.16 -0.60 1 1.66 -1.26 9 Pownal 0.40 -0.57 2 1.93 -2.21 12 Rochester 1.98 +1.14 1 3.53 +0.10 7 Rutland_AG 0.90 +0.06 3 1.68 -1.68 10 Sunderland 0.15 -0.55 1 2.10 -0.87 10 Sutton 0.57 -0.41 4 3.31 -0.67 15 Townshend_Lake 0.10 -0.60 1 2.16 -0.70 10 Union_Vill_Dam 0.41 -0.29 2 1.27 -1.70 9 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 0.09 -0.75 3 3.26 -0.10 15 Boston/Logan_In 0.00 -0.66 0 2.59 -0.22 7 Greenfield 0.09 -0.78 2 3.07 -0.45 13 New_Bedford 0.56 -0.15 1 3.15 -0.06 9 Otis_AFB 0.17 -0.51 1 2.23 -0.69 7 Plymouth 0.19 -0.58 2 3.66 +0.51 11 Walpole 0.09 -0.72 2 3.48 +0.03 9 West_Medway 0.05 -0.76 1 4.65 +1.20 8 Chicopee/Westov 0.32 -0.56 4 6.00 +2.30 14 Worcester 0.02 -0.88 1 4.26 +0.65 10 Worthington 0.00 -0.92 0 2.31 -1.31 11 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 0.50 -0.21 2 3.92 +0.90 10 Woonsocket 0.43 -0.48 3 4.96 +1.21 11 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 0.16 -0.61 2 4.24 +0.87 13 Bridgeport/Siko 0.03 -0.81 2 3.80 +0.58 10 Hartford/Bradle 0.14 -0.63 2 4.31 +0.94 12 Norfolk 0.91 -0.07 2 5.37 +1.16 13 Norwich 0.61 -0.16 2 3.72 +0.68 10 Thomaston_Dam 0.00 -0.91 0 3.10 -0.64 10 Willimantic 0.11 -0.80 2 3.98 +0.46 11 Summary based on NWS data. DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2003: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. -- Other Agricultural Comments and News -- CONNECTICUT - Howard Rood (FSA), Fairfield/Litchfield: Hot, humid weather this past week has helped the field corn. It looks much better than last week. Ross Eddy (FSA), Hartford/Tolland: Finally a week of sun and heat. Finishing up planting sweet corn and in some places field corn. Chopping grass and making dry hay. Finishing setting peppers, tomatoes and eggplant on wet soils. Sweet corn very close, but not ready for July 4th. Marsha Jette (FSA), New London: Finishing planting corn, chopping hay, trying to dry hay. Reports of poor quality first cutting. Reports of corn fields being replanted due to the wet, cold spring rotting seeds. Strawberries have flourished with last week's sunshine. Sweet corn planted late will result in a later market. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Finally hot and sunny. Corn is growing by the hour, hay not so hot with brown over-mature and new growth in the same cutting. Vegetables looking better. Still planting silage corn, sad but true. Fields dried out rapidly in 90 degree heat. Able to spray weeds and replant where possible. Blueberries look abundant and promising, picking to start soon. Strawberries came through with great tasting berries. Nancy Welsh/Karen Lockman (FSA), New Haven: Strawberry picking is just about finished. Lettuce being harvested along with peas. Tomato and pepper plants still small. Customers going to stands looking for native corn. Richard Meinert (Ext), CT Cooperative: Corn knee high by the Fourth of July? Not around here. Most field corn I see is only 6-12 inches tall. Haymaking is proceeding fast and furiously as farmers strive to catch up. Some fields still being reported as too soft to enter with equipment. Some scattered showers delaying baling. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potatoes and small grains: We asked for some rain and we received plenty. Showers, some heavy at times nearly every day this past week. This got most growers behind in their hilling of potatoes, even made it difficult to spray their fields. However, most growers have at least one fungicide application on. Crops are growing rapidly with plenty of moisture and the warm days and nights. Growers monitoring fields of potatoes for corn borer egg masses. A relatively high number of moths being caught in traps. Pam Hickey (Ext), Central Aroostook: Farmers are applying herbicides. Potatoes are being hilled. Insecticide applications are applied as needed. Emergence is looking good. Potato crop is looking excellent. Canola crop is starting to flower. Steve London (Ext), Southern Aroostook: Potatoes and small grains: Heavy infestation of European corn borers and in some places cutworms. Next two weeks will be a good time to spray. Crops are growing fast. Farmers are busy cultivating, things are looking good. Albert Dow (NRCS), Piscataquis: Farmers are enjoying getting good quality hay without getting it wet. We are needing water now. Streams are very low. Rick Kersbergen (Ext), Waldo: Hot weather finally got the corn to grow. Lots of hay and silage being harvested along with strawberries. Off and on thundershowers have helped the dry conditions that were beginning to develop. Dr. David Yarborough (Ext), Washington: Wild blueberries: Fly traps being deployed in fields to monitor for the blueberry maggot fly. Parker Rand (FSA), Cumberland/York: A lot of hay has been made, its been a very busy week trying to make up for lost time. It's hard to believe but the irrigation is showing up on the driest fields. The hay crop is excellent, manure is being spread on second crop, and strawberry picking is in full swing. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: Hot and humid weather this week; a great week for haying. Some spotty rain showers developed into thunderstorms and strong winds in some areas, but not enough to hold off the humidity. The crops have the heat, but now need more rain. Laura Rand (FSA), Oxford: Wow, the weather sure has changed! Strawberries have come on strong and are being harvested with a vengeance. Cultivation and hay activities are going strong. MASSACHUSETTS - Arthur Williams (FSA), Berkshire: Great weather for dry haying, the crop has matured early due to the warm weather this week. Lots of the hay crop went into haylage by operators because of a shorter drying time. No additional problems reported so far. Strawberries are extremely slow to ripen, cutting into the pick-your-own season. Most all corn crops are looking green and growing, some sweet corn tasseled out with ears forming. There was not local area sweet corn for the 4th of July. A couple of short downpours, 0.125 to 0.25 inches scattered in the county. Kip Graham (FSA), Worcester: Taking advantage of the sunny days, getting the hay cut, dried and baled. A lot of first cutting being green chopped. Blueberries soon will be ready. Strawberries quickly coming to an end. Field corn off to a slow start, but slowly catching up. Side-dressing corn and most other vegetables. Farm stands setting up and selling early crops - mostly cole crops, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers and some tomatoes. Frank Caruso (Ext), Plymouth: Cranberries: The weather has been ideal for pollination of the flowers. Some of the bloom has been the best I have ever seen. Bees are working diligently to set the fruit. Many young berries can be seen. Irrigation has been necessary, as it has not rained a significant amount for nearly two weeks. Fruit rot fungicide applications continue and the first fruitworm sprays will be going on very soon. Things are setting up well so far. David Rose (FSA), Bristol: Finally something to harvest - summer squash, zucchini, beets, peas, cabbage, lettuce and radishes. Hay harvest continues but quality is dropping rapidly. Strawberry harvest winding down. Leaf hoppers appearing on beans, cucumber beetles are around. Tree fruit appears to be normal. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Hay, hay, hay! There's plenty of "horse hay" in the barn this week. Although the quality was below average, the volume has been huge. Second cut is ready to go and looks much better. Sweet corn is in silk and all potatoes are either in bloom or beyond. Most farms have started to irrigate this week. We've gone from cool and rainy to hot and dry in less than two weeks! Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: Hot and sunny week with temps in the 90's. Crops are growing fast with the heat and fields are drying out. Vegetable growers started irrigating. Harvesting peas, beets, radishes, lettuce and strawberries. Cultivating, top-dressing and scouting for pests continues. Gary Guida, Worcester: A perfect week for strawberry picking! Crop is excellent and bountiful. Perennial and annual sales still strong. Harvesting zukes and summer squash. Could use a little rain as topsoil drying out. Good week for making hay as well. Final crops transplanted to fields. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Amy Ouellette (Ext), Belknap: It was a very dry week. Peas and sweet corn are showing drought stress. Colorado potato beetles have arrived. Harvesting strawberries, squash, cucumbers, new potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, beets, spinach and lettuce. Farm stand business was excellent over the holiday weekend. Carl Majewski (Ext), Cheshire: Warm temps and lots of sun. Not too many places showing moisture stress, but some rain would be nice. Field corn is growing really well, much of it waist high. Farms are taking PSNTs and side dressing. Producers are catching up on first cutting dry hay, though there's still a fair amount standing. Farms starting to harvest second cutting for haylage or baleage. Warm weather is helping vegetable crops - farm stands offering summer squash, greens, greenhouse tomatoes, broccoli. Steve Turaj (Ext), Coos: Generally hot, dry weather throughout most of the week. Corn growing rapidly, some knee-high by the 4th of July. First cut hay on remaining fields getting finished up. Only some scattered thunder showers to make things interesting. More early vegetables showing up at local farm stands and markets, particularly those using high tunnels. Cucumber beetles beginning to be bothersome. Need some rain! White clover in full blossom, welcome sight for bee keepers. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: Dry weather continues. Grass regrowth slow on drier soils. Corn continues to grow despite lack of rain. Some of early planted corn has caught up to normal growth for this time of year (waist high). Some timely rain would spur growth on with the hot temperatures we've been having. Steve Schmidt (FSA), Grafton: Since June 14th, we have received less than one-tenth of an inch of rain. Conditions in this area of NH continue to be very dry. Three local municipal water supplies have declared water emergencies due to lack of rain and very low water tables. The Lebanon area has received substantially more rain than this area. The native pasture and grass has slowed right down due to dry conditions. The normally "wet fields" are hayable. Corn is starting to curl on some fields. Alfalfa seems to be doing much better in comparison, due to the deeper root system. We have had more reports of dug wells and springs going dry. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Fruit: Strawberry harvest is in full swing (75% harvest) with a hot weekend for Pick-Your-Own operations. Sweet cherry harvest started. Fruit growers monitoring pest and crop development and applying sprays for pest control, along with mowing orchard floors. Growers thinning peaches and some apple varieties, along with training newly planted trees. Field Crops: With drier weather during the week, farmers continued to bale hay or make haylage at a faster rate. Grass hay is maturing rapidly. Finished planting silage corn and post emergence weed spraying in corn fields. Side dressing fertilizer to field corn and spreading manure on harvested hayfields. Vegetables: Growers concerned about irrigating crops with two weeks plus of hot, dry weather. Continuing successive planting. Growers continued harvesting early season vegetables such lettuce, greens, radishes, peas, summer squash and first potatoes. Growers busy trying to side dress fields with fertilizer, cultivating, mowing weeds, scouting for pests and spraying. David Seavey (Ext), Merrimack: Strawberry harvest doing well. Hot weather has accelerated growth of warm season vegetables. Lots of dry hay cut followed by fertilizer applications. Field crops irrigated as dry weather prevails. Greens and some summer squash harvested. Orchardists mowed and applied curculio sprays. Strawberry crop looks good but coming on too fast in hot weather. Field corn and sweet corn side dressed with fertilizer. Apples and blueberries are sizing well. Rain is needed. Garden center sales have improved due to sunny weekends. First cut hay yields were high but overall quality was fair because of delayed harvest. Pam Marvin (FSA), Sullivan: The stretch of warm, humid weather has helped bring the silage and sweet corn along. Second cutting of alfalfa haylage has begun. First cut of dry hay is still finishing up with the dry days. Could use a sprinkle or two to keep crops on pace. Strawberries are looking good this year despite the rainy spring. Apples and blueberries are coming along nicely with the warm weather. They, too, could use a good soaking. Geoffrey Njue (Ext), Strafford: The week was hot and dry. First cut hay harvest is now complete. Farmers were busy making hay and haylage. Vegetable growers continued to harvest early season crops and greenhouse tomatoes. Planting of late season crops continued last week. Growers were also busy weeding and cultivating vegetable fields. Harvesting of strawberries continued last week. Fruit growers were busy monitoring for pests and spraying if needed. Growers also continued mowing orchard floor. VERMONT - John St. Onge/Kim Peterson (FSA), Lamoille: Corn crop looks fabulous for this time of year. Not only was most "knee-high by the 4th of July" but a lot was waist high! Getting reports of a great first cut of grass but rainfall has gone below normal with above normal heat so many are worrying about second cut. Pastures not doing very well. From the looks of many manure pits there is still much to be spread and some have been doing so. Dave Blodgett (NRCS), Orleans: A lot of good weather for haying this week. Land is beginning to get a little dry. We could use a little rain. Corn is anywhere from six inches to two feet tall. Most of it looks real good. Lynette Hamilton/Perley Sparrow (FSA), Windham: Last week in Windham County farmers were haying in the first hot weather of the season. Field corn is at six feet but showing signs of the dry weather pattern that we are in. Cukes, summer squash and zucchini are being harvested now with sweet corn by the first of next week. Second cut alfalfa is ready to cut. Jeff Carter (Ext), Addison: Hay harvest continues with better weather. Corn plants look OK, some dry patches showing in fields, some wet areas still show yellow corn, many fields not planted at all this year. Late planted corn germination spotty. Too wet, then too dry. Eh? Hay regrowth good, pastures starting to slow down. Eric Winchester (FSA) Orange/Windsor: This week has been exceedingly dry. We need rain badly. Some farmers have begun the second cut of hay on ground which they mowed as early as first cut, in hopes of salvaging what they are able before a prolonged dry spell sets in. Conditions begin to remind us of the previous two drought-stricken summers. Pasture and hay ground is 'going backward' in many locations. Corn looks good. It has grown about waist high in many places. However, the lack of rain is starting to make corn curl, particularly on sandy ground. Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: Very hot week. We had just a light shower one evening. Getting dry. Crops are really responding to the sun and warmth. Some people getting started on a second cut of hay/haylage. Chris Benedict (Ext), Chittenden: Apple fruit size has increased slowly over the past week due to lack of moisture. Hot and humid days increased arthropod development throughout the past week. With cooler temperatures and some precipitation forecasted, there is a positive outlook for the upcoming week. Heather Darby (Ext), Franklin: Great weather last week for field work. The majority of the first cut has been harvested. Manure is being spread on the fields. Some corn still emerging while other fields are at the eighth leaf stage. Sherwin Williams, Rutland: Cultivating vine crops. Sprayed potatoes for bugs and blight. Applying nitrogen to corn as it gets ready. Hand hoeing on cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. 0.657 inches of rain. Real warm weather made for a great growing week on all crops. Early sweet corn starting to tassel, lots of peas in the market. Also, all types of leafy vegetables, green onions and rhubarb. Have a happy 4th of July. -- JUNE 2003 CROP WEATHER SUMMARY -- Similar to 2002, cool and rainy weather continued from May into the beginning of June, causing farmers to fall around two weeks behind in planting. As of mid-month, potatoes, small grains and shade tobacco were planted, while silage corn, sweet corn and broadleaf tobacco planting remained behind schedule. Most of the first cut of hay was chopped for silage, as wet weather deterred the making of dry hay. Farmers rushed to make dry hay during the final week of June, as skies cleared and warm weather arrived. Second cutting had barely begun that same week and the crop was reported in good condition. Potato emergence was complete by June 22 in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and Maine's potato crop was nearly all emerged with the arrival of July. Potato crop condition ranged from good to excellent throughout New England. Oats and barley in Maine were fully emerged by month's end, with both crops rated in good to excellent condition. As of June 29, broadleaf tobacco transplanting was 80 percent complete, compared to 95 percent complete on average for that time of year. Tree fruit condition remained steady throughout the month, ranging from fair to good. The crops responded well to the hot, dry weather as June came to a close. Below normal temperatures and rain in the spring caused growers to diligently apply fungicides to their fruit crops. The progress of this year's strawberry crop was well behind normal, with only 25 percent harvested by month's end; berry size was reported as average to above average. Cranberries in Massachusetts were in early to full bloom stage by June 29 and were rated in good condition. Maine's wild blueberries were also reported in good condition with an average fruit size. -- Contact Information -- To receive this report every Monday evening, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statisticians: Emily McAllister, Robin Helrich Stat Assistant: Wayne Colpitt Deputy Director: Joe Sampson New England Agricultural Statistics Service National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture Aubrey R. Davis, Director 22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor PO Box 1444 Concord, NH 03302-1444 Phone: (603) 224-9639 Fax: (603) 225-1434 Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov ****************** end of report ***********************