15 



the acreage of crops. Keeping bens in open movable coops for 

 summer egg-production is increasingly practised, with good results. 



Hadley (L. W. West). — The season to date looks very favor- 

 able. Pastures and mowings promise well ; very little fall seeding 

 winter-killed. Quince bushes winter-killed ; no bloom on peaches ; 

 other fruits show average bloom ; no frosts. Tent caterpillars are 

 doing some damage. Spraying is not extensively practised, and 

 is not on the increase. Farm help is neither scarce nor plenty, 

 and one-half of it is good help. Wages average $20 per month 

 with board and Si. 50 per day without board. There will be a 

 larger acreage of onions than usual. 



South Hadley (H. W. Gatlord). — The season is about a week 

 late on everything except grass and fall-sown grain. Fall seeding 

 wintered well ; mowings that were fertilized look finely ; pastures 

 not up to the average. All fruits show average bloom except 

 peaches ; 50 per cent of peach trees dead, and half the remainder 

 badly injured. Not much damage from insects as yet. Very 

 little spraying is done. Farm help is plenty, such as it is. Wages 

 average 818 to $20 per month with board and $1.50 per day with- 

 out board. There is a disposition to grow more corn than usual, 

 but much of that already planted has failed to come up. 



Easthampton (W. E. Clapp). — The season is a favorable one. 

 Pastures are in good condition, and fall seeding wintered well. 

 With the exception of peaches, there is a good fruit bloom and no 

 damage from frosts. The currant worm is doing some damage. 

 Spraying is not much practised. Farm help asks from $20 to $25 

 per month and board and $1.50 per day without board. There are 

 no marked changes in the acreage of farm crops. 



Williamsburg (F. C. Richards). — The season is backward. 

 Pastures and mowings promise well, and fall seeding wintered 

 well. All varieties of apples blossomed full except Baldwins, 

 which are backward and not as full as some years, but enough for 

 a heavy crop. Peaches made a very full bloom ; other fruits 

 promise well. No insects are very injurious as yet. Spraying is 

 not much practised, and is not increasing. Farm help is very 

 scarce, and practically none can be called good help. Wages 

 average $18 to $20 per month with board and from $30 to $35 per 

 month without board. There will be an increased acreage of 

 potatoes. 



Huntington (H. W. Stickney). — Most of our land is so wet 

 that little planting has been done. Pastures and mowings never 

 looked better ; fall seeding winter-killed on low land. There is 

 a very full bloom of all kinds of fruits, and no frosts as yet. No 

 insects have appeared. There is but little spraying done here. 



