30 



Weston (Edward C. Ripley). — The outlook is for a favorable 

 season. Fall seeding wintered well and its condition is normal. 

 The bloom of fruits was: apples, 100; pears, peaches and plums, 

 90; small fruits, 100. Strawberries were damaged by frost to 

 some extent. Insects doing most damage are the tent caterpillar 

 and brown-tail moth. Of planting, 25 per cent is already done; 

 fai-mers are a trifle late in this work. Farm help is plentiful and 

 wages paid average $30 per month with board and $2 per day 

 without board. There seems to be a good demand for land, and 

 more is being brought under cultivation. Pheasants are digging up 

 corn and peas. 



Lexington (Howard M. Monroe). — Spring opened very early 

 and very Avet, but the latter j^art of April and early May were very 

 dry, with high winds and cold nights. Grasslands, pastures and 

 fall seeding are in normal condition. The bloom of fruits was: 

 apples, 75; pears and peaches, 110; plums, 75; small fruits, 100. 

 StraAvberry blossoms were very much injured by frost on the morn- 

 ing of May 15, and many tomato plants and beans that were above 

 ground were frozen. Tent caterpillars, cutworms and brown-tail 

 and gypsy moths are proving most injurious. Forty per cent of 

 planting has been finished, which is the usual amount. Help is 

 scarce and only one-half can be considered good help. Wages 

 paid are: with board, per month, $25; without board, per day, 

 $1.75, A little more corn will be put in than usual. Many are ex- 

 perimenting with alfalfa. Hawks and crows are killing a great 

 many chickens, — as many as half of the broods in some eases. 

 Pheasants are scratching out the planted corn. 



Winchester (S. S. Symmes). — Crops were planted earlier than 

 usual, but held back by cold, dry weather. Pastures, mowings and 

 fall seeding are in 80 per cent condition. The last-named wintered 

 well. The bloom of fruits was: apples, peaches and plums, 75; 

 pears and small fruits, 100. The most injurious insects appear to 

 be tent eatei'pillars, leopard moths and gypsy and brown-tail moths. 

 Ninety per cent of planting is already done, which is fully up to 

 the average. Farm help is scarce, and one-half is good help. Day 

 laborers are nearly all on an eight-hour basis, and most of them 

 have Saturday afternoon off, without loss of pay. Carpenters, 

 painters, plumbers and masons work not over seven hours per day, 

 actual time. To give fair compensation to farmers, milk should 

 be not less than 15 cents per quart. Wages paid farm help average 

 $30 per month with board and $1.75 per day without board. Mon- 

 golian pheasants are pulling u]p the young corn. 



