16 



Amherst (Wm. P. Brooks). — The season is nearly up to the 

 average as measured by the progress of vegetation, but work is 

 behind on wet land. Pastures and mowings promise well, and 

 fall seeding wintered well. Peaches, pears, cherries, plums, goose- 

 berries and currants bloomed full ; apples very uneven, few Bald- 

 wins, — Greenings and some other varieties, especially early ones, 

 abundant. No insects are unusually prominent. Spraying is fol- 

 lowed by all large producers, and is certainly increasing. Help is 

 about as usual as to supply and quality. First-class help get 

 from $20 to $25 per month with board, less valuable help from 

 $10 and board upwards. Tobacco will be more largely grown than 

 usual. 



Hadley (L. W. West). — The season is a little late. Pastures 

 and mowings promise well, and fall seeding is about normal in con- 

 dition. Some sections show a full fruit bloom, except for apples, 

 which have an off year. Wire and cut worms are damaging early 

 cabbage. Spraying has not commenced, but the practice is on the 

 increase. There is very little farm help except Polish help, which 

 is generally good. Wages are from $15 to $20 per month with 

 board and from $1.25 to $1.50 per day without board. There are 

 no marked changes in the acreage of farm crops. 



Granhy (Geo. A. Blish). — The season compares favorably 

 with the normal. Pastures and mowings are looking extra well, 

 and fall seeding wintered well except on some low lands, where it 

 winter-killed. The fruit bloom is quite a full one. Not very much 

 spraying has been done, but it is on the increase. Good help is 

 very scarce, but there is plenty of poor help. Wages average 

 about $20 per month with board. There is nothing new in agri- 

 culture, and no great changes in the acreage of farm crops. 



Easthamptoii (Wm. C. Clapp). — The season promises well, the 

 abundant rains being what we need. Pastures and mowings are 

 looking well, and fall seeding wintered well. There is a full bloom 

 of nearly all kinds of fruit. Potato bugs and onion maggots are 

 doing some damage. Not much spraying is done, as our farmers 

 think they have not time for it. Good help is scarce, and 

 half the supply is good. Wages are from $16 to $23 per month 

 with board and from $30 to $35 per month without board. There 

 will be a large acreage of tobacco, and several farmers are not 

 planting as many potatoes as usual. One man in town is growing 

 frogs for city markets, but has not sold any as yet. 



Goshen (Alvan Barrus). — Excessive rains have greatly de- 

 layed plowing and planting. Pastures, mowings and fall seeding 

 are all looking finely. The fruit bloom is not fully developed, but 

 a light apple bloom is probable. Insects are not doing much dam- 



