18 



$15 to 820 per month with board and from $1.50 to $1.75 per day 

 without board. 



Oakham (Jesse Allen) . — The season is better than an aver- 

 age one at present. Pastures and mowings are looking well, and 

 fall seeding wintered well. There is an abundant bloom of all 

 fruits, with no damage from frost. Tent caterpillars are doing 

 some damage. Very little spraying is done in this region. Farm 

 help is scarce, and perhaps half of it is good help. Wages average 

 about $20 per month with board and $30 per month without board. 

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



Petersham (D. F. Bigelow). — The prospect for the season is 

 much better than last year at this time. Pastures and mowings 

 were never better, and fall seeding wintered well. Apples, pears, 

 peaches, plums and small fruits here blossomed well; no damage 

 from frost. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Not much 

 spraying is done here. Farm help is scarce. Wages average $18 

 to $22 per month with board and $35 to $50 per month without 

 board. There will be an increased acreage of potatoes. 



Royalston (C. A. Stimson). — The season is better than for the 

 last two years. Pastures and mowings promise excellently, and 

 fall seeding wintered well. There is a full bloom of all kinds of 

 fruit, and no damage from frost. No insects have appeared as 

 yet. Spraying is not practised here against insects attacking 

 fruit. Farm help is scarce, and one-eighth of it is good. Wages 

 average $25 per month with board and $1.50 per day without 

 board. There will be no marked changes in the acreage of the 

 usual farm crops. 



Templeton (Lucien Gove) . — Spring opened late, and with 

 stormy weather farm work has been delayed to an unusual degree ; 

 climatic conditions better than usual. Mowings look finely, but 

 pastures are rather backward ; fall seeding wintered well. Apples, 

 pears, plums, cherries and strawberries gave a full bloom. There 

 is no damage from insects as yet. Very little spraying is done, 

 and the practice is not increasing. Farm help is rather more easy 

 to get than for several years, and about 20 per cent of it is good 

 help. Wages average from $12 to $25 per month with board and 

 $1.50 per day without board. 



Fitchburg (Dr. Jabez Fisher). — The season does not vary 

 essentially from the normal. Pastures and mowings promise first- 

 class results, and fall seeding wintered well. The bloom is heavier 

 than the average for nearly all fruits, and there is as yet no injury 

 from frost. The full bloom of the Baldwin apple occurred on the 

 2l8t, which is the average date of bloom for forty-eight years. Cut 

 worms and tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Spraying is 



