9 



In the circular to correspondents, returnable May 22, the 

 following questions were asked : — 



1. How does the present season compare, agriculturally 

 speaking, with a normal season? 



2. What is the promise for pastures and mowings, and 

 did fall seeding winter well? 



3. How did the fruit bloom compare with the bloom of 

 former years ? 



4. What insects appear to be doing the most damage in 

 your locality ? 



5. To what extent is spraying practised against insects 

 attacking fruit, and is it on the increase in your locality? 



6. Is farm help scarce, or plenty ; and what proportion 

 can be called good help ? 



7. What are the average wages paid farm help in your 

 vicinity, with board? Without board? 



8. Will there be any marked change in the acreage of the 

 usual farm crops, and do you note any new enterprises in 

 the line of agriculture ? 



Returns have been received from 148 correspondents, and 

 from them the following summary has been made up : — 



The Season. 

 Owing to the excessive rains and the prevalence of cool 

 east winds, the season is now much behind the normal, so 

 far as the progress of vegetation is concerned. From a week 

 to ten days late in western sections and from ten days to two 

 weeks in eastern would seem a fair statement. The excessive 

 moisture and consequent condition of the soil has made plow- 

 ing and planting most difficult, and farm work is even more 

 behind the seasonal normal than is vegetation. The fruit 

 bloom appears to have occurred at about the usual time in 

 western sections and a few days later in eastern. 



Pastures and Mowings. 

 The excess of moisture has been just what was needed for 

 pastures and mowings, and has done much to repair the injury 

 wrought by last year's drought. Although some mowings 

 are still thin from that cause, they promise well in general, 

 and a good crop of hay seems probable with fairly favorable 



