17 



stant supervision. Wages are $1.50 per day without board and from 

 $15 to $20 per month with board. There will be no marked changes in 

 the acreage of farm crops. 



Palmer (O P. Allen). — The season has been cold and backward. 

 The present outlook for pastures and mowings is very good. The fruit 

 bloom was smaller than usual and the peach trees are nearly all dead. 

 Few insects have appeared as yet. Spraying has not been practised to 

 any great extent Farm help is rather scarce with about one-third of it 

 good. Wages are about $1.50 per day without board and about $1 per 

 day with board. There are no marked changes in the line of agri- 

 culture. 



Holland (Francis Wight) . — The season is later and the prospect 

 not as bright as last year. Grass in mowings is thin and it is backward 

 in pastures. The fruit bloom is much lighter than usual. Tent cater- 

 pillars are doing some damage. Not much if any spraying is done here. 

 Help is scarce and we call any help good that we can get. Wages are 

 $1 per day with board and $1.25 to $1.50 per day without board. There 

 are no new enterprises in agriculture except that several have gone into 

 raising chickens this year. 



WORCESTER COUNTY. 



Southbridge (Geo. L. Clemence). — The season is a little late. Past- 

 ures and mowings are in need of rain ; fall seeding wintered well. 

 Pears made a good bloom, apples poor, peaches did not blossom. Farm 

 help is scarce and half of it is very poor. Wages are about f 5 per week 

 with board. 



North Brookfield (J. H. Lane) . — The season has been cold and dry. 

 Lack of rain is telling on pastures and mowings on poor land. Apples 

 made a good bloom, pears fair, plums full. The weather is too cold for 

 insects to appear. Very little spraying is done here. Farm help is 

 scarce and some of it mighty poor, perhaps 10 per cent is good help. 

 Wages are from $18 to $24 per month with board and from $1.50 to 

 $1.75 per day without board. Grass must be a short crop as it has win- 

 ter-killed very badly, in forty yeai-s I never saw the like. 



Oakham (Jesse Allen). — The present season compares very favor- 

 ably with the normal. Pastures and mowings are in good condition and 

 fall seeding wintered well. Apples made a very light bloom, pears 

 plentiful. No insects are doing sei'ious damage. Spraying is but very 

 little practised. Farm help is plenty and half of it is good help. 

 Wagi s are from $15 to $20 per month with board and about $10 addi- 

 tional without board. There are no marked changes in the acreage of 

 farm crops. 



Dana (E. A. Albee). — The season is about ten days later than the 

 normal. We need rain for pastures and mowings, and grass winter- 

 killed quite badly. There is scarcely any bloom on apples and none at 

 all on anything else. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage Spray- 

 ing is but little practised and is not increasing. Farm help is scarce 

 and not over one-fourth is good help. Wages are from $15 to $20 per 

 month with board and about $1.50 per day without board. The acreage 

 of potatoes is increased over last year. 



Royalston (C. A. Stimson). — The season is dry and cold and ten 

 days late. Pastures and mowings are in need of moisture ; fall seeding 

 winter-killed in spots. The fruit bloom was below the avei"age. Spray- 

 ing is not pi-actised at all in this locality. Help is scarce and half of it 

 is good help. Wages are $18 per month with boai'd and $1.50 per day 

 without board. There are no marked changes in the acreage of farm 

 crops and no new enterprises in agriculture. 



Gardner (A. F.Johnson). — The season is rather backward and is 

 cold and dry, small seeds cannot gei*minate. Grass is short and late. 



