24 



average $24 per month, with board, and $40, without board. The 

 acreage of corn will be increased and that of potatoes decreased. Cut 

 worms are doing more damage than usual. Streams and ponds are 

 extremely low. 



Winchester (S. S. Symmes). — This is not a normal season, no rain 

 this month and extreme heat. Pastures and mowings are very dry; 

 fall seeding nearly killed out. The fruit bloom was very heavy, but 

 the setting of fruit was very small. Cut worms have become a great 

 pest and are doing heavy damage. Planting has gone ahead unin- 

 terruptedly, as the whole month has been fair. Help is very plenty, 

 but about half of it is incompetent. Wages average $25 per month, 

 with board, and $9 to $10 per week, without board. Cut worms are 

 so numerous that many fields of spinach and lettuce have been entirely 

 destroyed and some fields of peas nearly ruined. 



Weston (Henry L. Brown). — Fall seeding wintered well; all 

 pastures and mowings are making good growth. There is a very full 

 bloom of fruit with no damage from frost. Brown-tail and gypsy 

 moths are doing some damage and there is some complaint of cut 

 worms. Plantmg is progressing well. Farm help is scarce and only 

 a small proportion of it good help. Wages average $25 per month, 

 with board, and $1.75 to $2 per day, without board. Less potatoes 

 than usual are being planted. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Salisbury (Wesley Pettengill) . — ■ The season is unusually dry. At 

 this time pastures are in very poor condition and mowings small. 

 There was a fair, but not a great bloom of apples; pears, peaches and 

 plums good blooms; no frosts. Tent caterpillars and brown-tail 

 moths are doing damage. Planting is progressing slowly. Good 

 help is scarce, about 25 per cent of the supply being good. Wages 

 average $25 per month, with board, and from $1.50 to $1.75 per day, 

 without board. About the usual farm crops will be grown. 



Methuen (Frederick A. Russell). — The season is considerably 

 below the normal, owing to lack of rain. Pastures and mowings are 

 in very poor condition; fall seeding wintered well, but clover killed 

 out badly. There is a light bloom on apples; pears, peaches and plums 

 heavy; strawberries winterkilled somewhat; no damage from frost. 

 Tent caterpillars, brown-tail moths, gypsy moths and cut worms are 

 doing damage. Planting is about as far advanced as usual, but seeds 

 are germinating poorly. Good farm help is very scarce, but poor 

 help is plenty. Wages average $25 to $30 per month, with board, 

 and $1.50 to $2 per day, without board. Very little change is ob- 

 served in the acreage of fai'm crops. 



Rowley (D. H. O'Brien). — 'The season is backward, owing to the 

 late spring. Pastures and mowings are very poor; fall seeding 



