23 



Townsend (Geo. A. Wilder). — The season is below the average, 

 agriculturally speaking. Pastures and mowings do not promise well. 

 There was an average fruit bloom and no injury from frost. Codling 

 moths and rose bugs are doing some damage. Planting is backward. 

 Farm help is scarce. Wages average $20 per month, with board, and 

 from $1.50 to $1.75 per day, without board. There are no changes 

 in the acreage of the usual farm crops. 



Dunstable (A. J. Gilson). — The season is much below the normal, 

 and all kinds of seeds are nearly ruined by the dry and hot weather. 

 Pastures and mowings are backward; fall seeding wintered very well. 

 All fruit trees except Baldwin apples had a full bloom; small fruits 

 light; no frost to injure them. Asparagus beetles, cut worms, brown- 

 tail moths and tent caterpillars are doing damage. Planting is pro- 

 gressing slowly. Farm help is very scarce. Wages range from $20 to 

 $26 per month, with board, and from $1.50 to $1.75 per day, without 

 board. From present indications the acreage of the usual farm crops 

 will be about as formerly. 



Billerica (E. F. Dickinson). — The season was fii'st cold and then 

 warm, but we have had a drought for the past six weeks. Pastures 

 and mowings are very dry; fall seeding wintered fairly well. Apple 

 bloom half normal; pears, three-fourths; peaches, fidl; plums and 

 small fruits, good; no frosts to do damage. Tent caterpillars and 

 brown- tail moths are doing, damage, and gypsy moths are just coming 

 out. The weather has been fine for planting, but there is too little 

 moisture for germination and growth. Farm help is rather more 

 plenty than usual. Wages average $25 per month, with board, and 

 $1.75 per day or $40 per month, without board. Much corn will be 

 planted and fewer potatoes than usual; market-gardening is increas- 

 ing in this section. 



Concord (Wm. H. Hunt) . — April was quite cold, but of late it_^has 

 been hot and dry. Fall seeding came out well, but pastures and mow- 

 ings on light land are suffering from drought. The fruit bloom is not 

 as full as in some years. Elm leaf beetles are more abundant than 

 last year, other troublesome insects about average. Planting is pro- 

 gressing rapidly. Good farm help cannot be called^ plenty. Wages 

 average $25 per month, with board, and $45, without board. The 

 relative acreage of the different crops is about the same as usual. 



Lexington (Howard M. Munroe). — The season, so far, is not 

 favorable. Most pastures are dry and grass not starting well; neither 

 mowings nor fall seeding promise a full crop, though fall seeding 

 wintered fairly well. The apple bloom was lighter than for the last 

 two years; pears a full bloom; peaches more than a full bloom; plums 

 a fair bloom; season very fa vorable for the setting of fruit. Cutworms, 

 brown-tail moths, tent caterpillars, gypsy moths and San Jose scale are 

 prevalent, in the order named. About the usual amount of planting 

 has been done, but some must be replanted owing to the work of cut 

 worms. Farm help is scarce and not one-half of it is good help. Wages 



