20 



damage as yet. Farm help is plenty but very poor. Wages are from 

 $15 to #20 per month with board. The acreage of farm crops is less 

 than usual. Crops are very backward and the ground very dry ; it looks 

 like small crops and good prices. 



Lincoln (Samuel H artwell) . — The season is unusually dry. The 

 promise is bad for both pastures and mowings on naturally dry land. The 

 apple bloom is the smallest for many years, no peach bloom, cherries 

 and plums blossomed fully. There is very little spraying done in this 

 vicinity and no increase of the practice. Farm help is fairly plenty and 

 good. Good men command $20 per month and board and $35 per month 

 without board. About the average amount of crops are being put in. 



Newton (Otis Pettee). — The season is about an average one. The 

 dry weather since the first of April has had a tendency to shorten past- 

 ures and mowings a little, but with a little rain the prospect is fair. 

 The apple bloom is light with quite a full bloom of cherries. A few 

 tent catei-pillars are seen. The supply of farm help is about as in 

 former years. Wages are from $20 to $25 per month with board. 

 There is no marked change in the acreage of farm crops. 



Sherbom (N.B.Douglas). — The season is not at all a favorable 

 one. Pastures and mowings are very poor, but fall seeding wintered 

 well. The apple bloom is light, no peach bloom, pears and cherries 

 full. It has been so cold that no insects have appeared as yet. Spray- 

 ing is largely practised in this locality. Farm help is not plenty and 

 only about half of it is good. Wages are $12 to $20 per month with 

 board and $1.50 per day without. Unless we get heavy rains in the near 

 future the hay crop will be a failure. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Salisbury (Wesley Pettengill). — The season is cold and back- 

 ward. Pastures and mowings are in poor condition and fall seeding 

 winter-killed some. The apple bloom was very light, pears medium, 

 peaches very light, plums good. Tent caterpillars are doing some 

 damage. Spraying is practised mostly against canker worms and does 

 not increase much. Farm help is plenty and 25 per cent of it is good 

 help. Wages are $1 to $1.50 per day without board and $15 to $22 per 

 month with board. There are no marked changes in the acreage of 

 farm crops but there will not be as much planted this year as common. 



Haverhill (Eben Webster). — The season is a little later than usual 

 but not much. Pastures and mowings winter-killed somewhat ; fall 

 seeding wintered well. Apples and pears made about half the usual 

 bloom. There has been but little trouble from insects. Spraying is 

 somewhat on the increase but not much. Farm help is plenty and one- 

 half of it is good help. Wages are $1.50 per day without board and $20 

 per month with board. There are no marked changes in the acreage of 

 farm crops. 



Andover (M. H. Gould). — The present season is cold and dry. 

 Pastures and mowings are light; fall seeding wintered well. The fruit 

 bloom is lighter than usual. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. 

 Spraying is not practised to any extent. Farm help is scarce and not 

 over one-sixth of it is good help. Wages range from $16 to $20 per 

 month with board and from $25 to $33 per month without board. The 

 raising of sugar beets is somewhat talked of but does not take very well 

 around here. 



Neivbury (Geo. W. Adams). — The season is dry but otherwise about 

 average. Fall seeding wintered well, pastures fair on low lands, mow- 

 ings very poor and a short crop is promised. There are hardly any 

 apple blossoms, other fruit fair. Tent caterpillars are doing some dam- 

 age. One-fourth to one-half of our fruit trees are usually sprayed but 

 there is no perceptible increase. Farm help is scarce and not over 10 



