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bloom of fruits, apples, pears and peaches, 80; plums, 60; small 

 fruits, 100. Strawberries suffered from frost. Brown-tail moths 

 are doing the most damage. Of planting, 50 per cent has been done; 

 this is a normal amount. Farm help is hard to get, and only 25 

 per cent is good help. Wages paid help average $25 per month, 

 with board, and $2 per day, without board. 



Essex (Elias Andrews). — The season has not been as warm as 

 common thus far, although, agriculturally speaking, it is rather 

 above normal. Grass has made gi-eat growth and pastures are 

 uncommonly good. The condition of fall seeding is 80. The bloom 

 of fruits was: apples, 100; pears, 75; peaches, 80; plums, 40; 

 small fruits, 75. Peaches bloomed well, but did not set over 25 per 

 cent. Strawberries were blighted by frost to some extent on May 

 14. Insects doing most damage are the gypsy and brown-tail moths 

 and tent caterpillars. Of planting, 75 per cent has been completed, 

 which is above the normal amount. Help is scarce and not over 50 

 per cent is good help. The average wages paid are: with board, 

 per month, $28 ; without board, per daj', $2. A much larger acreage 

 of potatoes than usual will have been planted. Crows may do a 

 little damage by taking a few hills of corn. Apples and pear trees 

 bloomed about ten days earHer than usual. Farm stock wintered 

 well, and everything points to a good season for the dairy interests. 



Norfolk County. 



Millis (E. F. Richardson). — It is a late season. Pastures, mow- 

 ing and fall seeding are in 90 per cent condition. The bloom of 

 fruits was: apples, 75; pears, 85; peaches, 150; plums, 60; small 

 fruits, 50. No frost damage. The tent eateri^illars are doing the 

 greatest damage. Of planting, 10 per cent has been done, which 

 is less than normal. Help is scarce, and only 40 per cent may be 

 considered efficient. Thirty dollars per month and $2 per day are 

 the wages paid. The acreage of corn will be less, that of potatoes 

 more, than usual. 



Norwood (Frank A. Fales). — The present season is two weeks 

 late. The condition of pastures and mowings is 75; that of fall 

 seeding, 80. This did not winter well. The bloom of fruits was: 

 apples, 90; pears, 65; peaches and small fruits, 75; plums, 50. No 

 frost damage reported. Cutworms and tent caterpillars seem to be 

 the most injurious insects. Twenty per cent of planting is already 

 done. Farmers are two weeks late in this operation. Farm help 

 is scarce; 40 per cent is reliable. Wages average $28 per month 

 with board and $1.85 per day without board. 



Wreniham (Jeremiah A. Cobb). — The season is about the same 

 now as a normal. Owing to the early warm speU trees and wild 

 vegetation are a little early. The condition of pastures, mowings 



