20 



Toivnsend (G. A. Wilder) . — The season is above tlie average. 

 Pastures and mowings are in extra good condition and fall seeding 

 wintered well. The fruit bloom is better than the average. Tent 

 caterpillars are doing some damage. Spraying is not generally 

 practised, but is on the increase. Help is plenty and 85 per cent, 

 of it is good. Wages are from $15 to $20 per month with board 

 and $1.25 per day without board. 



Dunstable (A. J. Gilson). — The season is somewhat late, on 

 account of cool and wet weather. Pastures and mowings are 

 in good condition and fall seeding wintered well. The fruit 

 bloom is generally heavy and nearly equals that of 1896. Some 

 tent caterpillars made their appearance very early, but soon dis- 

 appeared. Very little spraying is done and it does not seem to 

 increase. Farm help is about equal to the demand and very good. 

 There are no changes in the acreage of crops to note and no new 

 enterprises in the line of agriculture. 



Bedford (Henry Wood). — Crops are backward for the time of 

 year. Pastures and mowings are in good condition and fall seed- 

 ing wintered well. The fruit bloom was very full. There ai-e no 

 insects doing damage as yet. I think spraying is on the increase 

 in this locality, but have seen none done as yet this year. Farm 

 help is plenty and about half of it good. Wages are from $18 to 

 $20 per month with board and from $40 to $45 without. I think 

 the acreage of farm crops is less than usual. 



Woburn (W. H. Bartlett). — The season is later than usual at 

 this date. Pastures and mowings are in very good shape and fall 

 seeding is all right. No plum bloom, apples about two-thirds 

 full, pears full, not many peaches. There are fewer caterpillars 

 so far than usual. Spraying is practised and is increasing. Very 

 few are asking for work and good help is very scarce. Wages are 

 $1.50 per day without board ; very few board help in this vicinity. 

 I note no new enterprises in agriculture, unless it is a tendency to 

 sell cream instead of milk, which is being tried somcAvhat. 



Stoneham (J. E. Wiley). — The season compares favorably 

 with the normal. Pastures and mowings are in fine condition and 

 fall seeding wintered well. The fruit bloom is fully up to the 

 average. Currant worms are the only insects doing damage as 

 yet. Spraying is on the increase. Farm help is plenty and about 

 one-fourth of it is good help. The average wages with board are 

 $18 per month and without board $35. There is no marked change 

 in acreage of farm crops and I note nothing new in agriculture. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 

 Amesbury (F. W. Sargent). — An excess of cold rains has de- 

 layed planting so that everything now comes together. Pastures 



