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GERMAIJ YfAR PRISONERS IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY ORCHARDS 



For the past v/eek there have been a hundred German Vfer Prisoners 

 in apple orchards in Middlesex County and the same number again this week. 

 The first month the total number of prisoners requested is small as compared 

 with the seven hundred ordered for the picking of the Macs the first two weeks 

 of September, 



The officials at the Army post have been most cooperativg and helpful 

 in every v;ay and are anxious to have the program run smoothly. To date the 

 orchardists have all furnished their own transportation but if several growers 

 wish to combine their units for transportation purposes arrangements for a bus 

 may be taken up with the Nashoba Fruit Growers' Association, 



As far as results; the growers here reported varying numbers of bushels 

 picked the first day from eighteen to thirty. This variation on different farms 

 is no doubt due to the difference in supervision. These prisoners should be 

 handled exactly as any other "greon" help and to get the best results thoy 

 should be carefully directed. As for the much talked about rest period the 

 army officials do not require this; it is entirely optional v;ith the grower. 



The wages according to the contract v;hich the Nashoba Fi*uit Growers' 

 Association has drawn up between the Association and the grower are fifteen 

 cents a bushel or sixty cents an hour. The contract requires the payment of 

 a week's wages in advance at the rate of six dollars a day. Adjustments in 

 these payments are made the following week betv;een amount paid and actual work 

 done. 



All in all, to date the whole program of using prisoners of vmr has 

 v/orked out most satisfactorily in this county, 



— -Ramona I. Davis 



Emergency Farm Labor Assistant 

 Middlesex County 



APPLE HARVEST LABOR SITUATION IN TTORCESTER COUInITY 



With the apple harvest facing us again this year, it would be a good 

 policy for our growers to contact pickers who worked for them last year and 

 who were satisfactory, to estimate about how many more pickers would be needed 

 to harvest the crop, and keep in mind to have adequate picking equipment. Last 

 year many of the men could not use all of their pickers at one time because of 

 a shortage of ladders and other equipment k 



This year, the Nashoba Fruit Growers have appointed a labor committee 

 who have looked into the possibility of procuring German war prisoners to help 

 out in the harvesting. To date, it is known that German war prisoners will be 

 available, and any grov/ers 'who are interested in this type of help should 

 contact the Nashoba Labor Committee even though they are not • members. 



Of course, the first step in acquiring help should be the utilization 

 of the local talent. By this, I mean workers who live in or around the vicinity 

 of the orchard. If then the growers are still in need of help, they should 

 contact their Farm Labor Coordinator, 



