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in sight. Ground is in good order; corn and beans up and peas hoed. 

 Help is plenty, and 50 per cent of it is good help. Wages average $25 

 per month with board and $9 to $11 per week without board. The 

 past week has been very cold and cloudy, with but little rain. Crops 

 are growing very slowly. 



Stoneham (J. E. Wiley). — The season is backward. Pastures and 

 mowings are in good condition, and fall seeding wintered well. The 

 bloom on apples and pears is fine, and there has been no damage from 

 frost. No insects are doing damage as yet. Planting is progressing 

 slowly. There is not enough farm help employed to give estimates as 

 to the supply and price. There will be no marked changes in the 

 acreage of farm crops. 



Weston (Henry L. Brown). — The season is in advance of the 

 normal in some ways, and backward in others. Pastures are in good 

 condition ; old mowings light, others good ; early fall seeding wintered 

 well, while late has been backward. Fall apples have a good bloom, 

 Baldwins a light bloom ; peaches, pears and plums good ; small fruits 

 not yet in bloom. Gypsy and brown-tail moth caterpillars and the 

 San Jose scale are doing damage, the scale being the most serious. 

 There is enough farm help, such as it is. Wages average $20 per 

 month with board and $35 per month without board. There will be 

 no marked change in the acreage of farm crops. Early sweet corn is 

 up, and looking well ; potatoes are slow in coming up ; peas are some- 

 what backward, but look well. 



Newton (G. L. Marcy). — The season is cold and backward. Pas- 

 tures and mowings are in good condition, and fall seeding promises 

 well. The pear bloom is light; other fruits normal ; no damage from 

 frost. No insects have appeared as yet. Planting is progressing 

 slowly. There will be no marked change in the acreage of farm crops. 

 The milk contractors are running the local dealers out of business. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Salisbury (Wesley Pettengill). — The season has been cold, and 

 everything is backward. Pastures and mowings are looking well, and 

 fall seeding wintered well. Apple trees have not bloomed as yet; 

 pears a fair bloom; peaches and plums full blooms. The woods are 

 full of brown-tail moth caterpillars. Planting progressing slowly, 

 owing to cold weather. Wages range from $20 to $25 per month with 

 board and from $1.50 to $1.75 per day without board. I think there 

 will be more corn planted this year than usual. 



Amesbury (F. W. Sargent). — The season is a normal one. Pastures 

 and mowings are in fair condition, and fall seeding wintered well. 

 Winter apples seem to have a light bloom, though it is not fully out 

 yet; peaches and plums good. Tent caterpillars and brown-tail 

 moths are doing some damage. Planting progressing very well. Farm 

 help is more plentiful than for some years, and of fair quality. Wages 



