51 



per cent of pear buds. Apples showed a bloom of 60; pears, 80. 

 San Jose scale, tent caterpillar and the codling moth are doing the 

 most damage. Spraying is practiced for San Jose, codling moth and 

 other fruit pests. Small-fruit crop prospects are: strawbeiTies, 75 

 per cent ; raspberries, 75 to 90. Markets fair, sales being made direct 

 to consumer. Strawberries have been injured by frosts. 



Middlesex County. 

 Ashby (H. R. Foster). — Apples do best in this vicinity. Many 

 firms are taking fai'ms here, but scarcely any new orchards are being 

 planted. Nearly all peach, plum and cherry buds wintered. Apples 

 and pears showed an average bloom of 100. The brown-tail and 

 gypsy moths and the tent caterpillar are the most troublesome. In 

 two or three places spraying is done for San Jose scale, as also for 

 codling moth and other fi-uit pests. A full bloom is expected for 

 the small-fruit crop, although the damage by the late frosts has 

 not been determined. Markets are good, most of the marketing be- 

 ing done through commission houses. To some extent apples and 

 peaches were damaged by frosts. 



Littleton (John J. Deneht). — Apples, pears and peaches seem 

 to do well in this locality. There is plenty of land available for fruit 

 eultui'e, apples being the most popular fruit grown. Eighty-five per 

 cent of peach buds wintered. Baldwin apples showed a bloom of 

 16%; pears, 85, — the early varieties, 75 to 80. Spraying for San 

 Joss scale is practiced, but rarely is it done for the codling moth 

 and other fruit pests. Prospect for Baldwin apple crop is veiy 

 light; early varieties good; peaches very good. Markets good, most 

 of the marketing being done through commission houses, teaming to 

 Boston and thi'ough buyers. 



Concord (C. W. Prescott). — In this locality strawberries, apples 

 and peai-s do well. There is plenty of land available for fruit 

 culture, and some new apple orchards are being planted. Fruit 

 buds wintered as follows: peach, 85; plums, none; cherries, 80. 

 The bloom of apples was 90; pears, 95. Most damage is done by 

 San Jose scale, for which some spraying is done. Spraying is also 

 practiced for codling moth and other fruit pests. The small-fruit 

 prospects are 65 per cent. Markets are good, and the most common 

 method is direct to consumers and through commission houses. 

 Strawberries have been damaged by frosts. 



Bedford (Charles W. Jenks). — The fruits doing best in this 

 locality are apples and strawberries. Available land for fruit cul- 

 ture is plenteous, but only a limited number of new orchards are 

 being planted; those are apple and small-fruit orchards. Ninety 

 per cent of peach and plum buds wintered and 100 per cent of 

 cherry buds. The average bloom of apples was between 75 and 90, 



