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to any great extent, but is increasing. Farm help is scarce and 

 about one-half is first class. Wages are from $16 to $20 per month 

 with board and from $1.25 to $1.50 per day without. Fruits and 

 small fruits form 25 per cent of the money crops and the produc- 

 tion is increasing yearly. We must have rain soon, or we shall 

 get no crops. 



Loivell (C. L. Marshall). — The season is very poor and dryer 

 than last year. Pastures are looking poorly, but fall seeding is 

 doing well. The fruit bloom was very heavy and promises a great 

 crop. Canker worms and grubs are doing some damage. There 

 is very much more spraying than in former years. Help is plenty 

 and a small proportion is good help. Wages are $18 to $20 per 

 month with board and $30 to $35 without. The proportion of 

 fruit production to general farming is 3 to 2 and small fruits are 

 increasing. 



WiiicJiester (Marshall Symmes). — Planting is well advanced, 

 but the drought has checked growth. Pastures and mowings are 

 in bad shape and fall seeding much winter-killed. Apple trees 

 bloomed full, pears light, peaches and plums almost none at all. 

 Tent caterpillars and canker worms are very bad in places and cut 

 worms are bad everywhere. Spraying is on the increase, but is 

 not general as yet. Help is very plenty and about 50 per cent is 

 good help. Wages are from $7 to $10 per week without board and 

 $16 to $25 per month with board. Fruit growing is not on the 

 increase. 



Lincoln (Samuel Hartwell). — The season is about the same 

 as last year. The continued dry weather makes pastures and 

 meadows short ; some fall seeding wintered badly. Apples bloomed 

 abundantly, pears very light and no peaches. Canker worms are 

 doing some damage. Help is moderately plenty and three-fourths 

 is good. Wages are $18 to $20 per month with board and $30 to 

 S40 without. The production of fruit probably equals the general 

 farming and is increasing. Early crops have not germinated well. 



Marlborough (E. D. Howe). — The season compares unfavor- 

 ably with last year. Pastures and mowings are unusually short. 

 Fall seeding winter-killed considerably. The fruit bloom was 110 

 for apples, 10 for pears and 5 for cherries. Canker worms are 

 doing some damage. Spraying is practised quite considerably and 

 is rapidly increasing. Help is plenty and about one-tenth is good 

 help. Wages are $20 to $25 per month with board and $1.50 to 

 $2 per day without. Fruit production forms about one-tenth of 

 the general farming and seems to be increasing. 



Sherborn (N. B. Douglas). — The outlook this season is very 

 bad. There has been no rain of any amount since the snow went 



