18 



The fruit bloom is about average. No insects are doing damage as yet. 

 Spraying is not practised in this locality. Farm help is plenty for all de- 

 mands. Wao-es are from $15 to $25 per month with board and from 

 $1.25 to $1.5U°per day without board. There will be a slight increase in 

 the acreage of potatoes and perhaps a little falling off in that of corn. 



Ashburnham (Albert Needham). — The season is rather backward 

 it havino- been so dry the past six weeks. Feed has been slow in grow- 

 in o- but lias been gaining since the recent showers; fall seeding has 

 winter-killed to some extent. The fruit bloom is rather better than 

 usual for an off year. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Spray- 

 ing is but very little practised. Farm help is very hard to get. Wages 

 are from $18 to $25 per month with board and $35 to $40 per month 

 without. The acreage of farm crops is about the same as usual. 



Fitchburg (Jabez Fisher). — Up to the middle of April the season 

 was normal, since then very dry, but warm at first which brought the 

 fruit bloom out seven days earlier than for forty-three years, since bloom 

 the weather has been cold and time has been lost. Pastures and mow- 

 ings have wintered well and only lack moisture for the best results. 

 Apples did not make more than a one-fourth bloom, plums and cherries 

 well filled no peaches. Insects are doing little damage. I doubt if 20 

 per cent of the trees hereabouts get sprayed. Poor help is abundant 

 always, but good is scarce. Wages are about $20 per month with board 

 and $1.50 per day without board. 



Bolton (H. F Haynes).— The present season is fully up to the nor- 

 mal Fall seeding wintered quite well, but pastures and mowings 

 winter-killed badly. There was a very light bloom of all kinds of fruit. 

 No insects are doing damage as yet. Very little, if any, spraying done 

 in this vicinity. Farm help is rather scarce. Wages are from $17 to 

 $25 per month with board and nearly all board their help. Judging 

 from observation, there will be no great changes in the acreage of farm 

 crops and no new enterprises. 



Northborough (J. K. Mills). — The season is ten days late.^ Past- 

 ures and mowings are in good condition and fall seeding wintered 

 well The fruit bloom was not over 75 per cent of a full bloonL Can- 

 ker worms and tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Sixty-five per 

 cent of our farmers spray their fruit trees. Farm help is plenty and 

 three-fourths of it is good. Wages range from $15 to $25 per month 

 with board and from $ 1.25 to $2 per day without board. The acreage ot 

 farm crops will be about as usual and there are no new enterprises 

 in agriculture. 



Worcester (S. A. Burgess) —The present season is an average one, 

 agriculturally speaking. Pastures and mowings are in good condition ; 

 oSe-fourth of the fall seeding winter-killed. The fruit bloom was about 

 75 per cent of an average Cut worms, currant worms, wire worms and 

 white grubs are doing some damage. There is a moderate amount of 

 sprayino- done, but it is not on the increase. Farm help is plenty and 

 half of it is good. Wages are from $15 to $25 per month with board 

 and from $1 to $2 per day without board. Good winter apples will be 

 scarce and peaches are a failure. 



Oxford CD. M. Howe). — The season is about a normal one. llie 

 promise for pastures and mowings is good and fall seeding wintered 

 well. But few trees have bloomed, especially in case ot the apple. 

 Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Spraying is on the increase 

 and many spraying machines have been sold here this season, fcarm 

 help is very scarce but seems to be good help. Wages are $1.50 per 

 day without board and $1 per day with board. There are no marked 

 changes in the acreage of the usual farm crops. 



Bllckstone (O. F. Fuller) . — The season is a backward one Pastures 

 and mowino-s do not look promising, but fall seeding looks well. 1 

 should say The fruit bloom is below that of former years, except plums 



