11 



unusually prevalent. There are very few complaints of in- 

 jury from canker -worms. Other insects spoken of as doing 

 damage are currant worms, potato beetles, cut worms, white 

 grubs, wire worms and asparagus beetles. 



Spraying. 

 Spraying is not practised nearly as much as it should be 

 by the farmers of the State. Most large fruit growers spray 

 their orchards thoroughly, and all farmers would find it profit- 

 able to spray, even if they only raise fruit enough for their 

 own use. The improvement in the quantity harvested is 

 usually a small item in comparison to the improvement in 

 quality. This year, as formerly, the returns point to an in- 

 crease in the practice, which, is constant, if slow. We 

 would again refer our readers to our Crop Report for May, 

 1896, for a few practical hints on spraying. 



Farm Help and Wages. 

 Strictly first-class help is now, as always, hard to secure ; 

 but there would appear from the returns to be a considerable 

 supply of good help to be had. Many foreigners have come 

 into the State in the past ten years, and most of them are 

 now efficient farm hands. Some of these men have began to 

 acquire land for themselves, but most of them are still work- 

 ing as laborers. Wages average about $17 to $18 per month 

 with board. Board is reckoned at from $12 to $17 per 

 month, and where men are hired by the month without 

 board there is a corresponding increase in the wages paid. 

 Day wages average about $1.25, with $1.50 in haying and 

 harvesting time. In some cases as high as $2 per day is 

 paid, but this is unusual. 



Acreage of Farm Crops. 

 The great majority of the returns state that there are no 

 marked changes in the acreage of farm crops and no new en- 

 terprises in the line of agriculture. The returns indicate, 

 however, that there will be a slight increase in the acreage 

 of corn and a greater one in that of potatoes. Small fruits, 

 especially strawberries, are yearly receiving more attention, 

 and poultry culture is also rather increasing. 



