27 



Oxford (B. W. Morse). — The season is backward. Pastures 

 and mowings are in normal condition. Fall seeding did not winter 

 well; its condition is 80. The bloom of fruits was: apples, 75; pears, 

 100; peaches on high land, 80; plums, 100. On low land apples, 

 pears and peaches suffered from frost damage, but on high land no 

 serious injury resulted. The tent caterpillar is the most seriously- 

 injurious insect. Twenty-five per cent of the planting has been 

 done; this is two weeks behind an average. Farm help is scarce; 

 50 per cent is good help. The average wages paid farm help in 

 this vicinity are : with board, per month, $30 to $35 ; without board, 

 per day, $2 to $2.50. It is too early to note any marked change 

 in the acreage of the usual farm crops. Birds are doing no damage; 

 wish there were more of them. Apples, pears, plums and peaches 

 were at least two weeks earlier in blooming. This is the first week 

 fanners have done much plowing. Quite a number of fields of 

 oats have been put in on light land, and several were seeded ten days 

 ago. All gardens are not planted yet. 



Princeton (A. 0. Tyler). — The i:)resent season is colder and 

 drier than normal. Pastures and mowings are in 75 per cent 

 condition, and fall seeding in 100 per cent. The bloom of fruits 

 was: apples and pears, 75; peaches, 25; plums, 60; small fruits, 50. 

 If any fruit suffered from frosts it was apples. Brown-tail moths 

 and tent caterpillars appear to be the most troublesome insects. Of 

 planting, 20 per cent is already done; farmers are very backward 

 in this operation. Help is scarce and only one-half is reliable. 

 Farm help is paid $18 to $25 per month with board, and without 

 board, $1.75 to $2 per day. 



Shrewsbury (Fred J. Reed). — The cold weather makes things 

 very backward. The condition of pastures and mowings is 40. Fall 

 seeding wintered fairly well; its condition is 60. The bloom of 

 fruits was: apples, 70; pears, 80; peaches, 40; plums, 50; straw- 

 berries, 90. No damage was done by frosts. Cutworms, brown-tail 

 moths and tent caterpillars are doing the greatest injury. Where 

 people try to keep down the tent caterpillars, towns should clean 

 up the roadsides. Of planting, 30 per cent is already done; this 

 is below the average amount. Farm help is scarce; 30 per cent is 

 good help. Farm wages average, with board, per month, $25 to 

 $30; without board, per day, $1.75 to $2. Some farmers are trying 

 to increase their fruit, but the bugs are hard to fight. Small birds 

 in large flocks have damaged lettuce. 



Milford (John J. O'Sullivan). — The present is about an aver- 

 age season. Pastures and mowings are in a 95 to 100 per cent 

 condition. Fall seeding came through the winter in fair condition 

 and is now 90 to 100. The bloom of fruits was: apples and pears, 

 75; peaches, plums and small fruits, 100. Frosts damaged straw- 



