15 



erpillars are doing some damage. Spraying is very generally 

 practised by large fruit growers and some small growers hire it 

 done. Farm help is plenty and good men are easily obtained by 

 offering good wages. Wages range from $12 to $21 per month 

 with board and from $29 to $40 per month without board. To- 

 bacco will be more largely grown than formerly. The rain of 

 Friday and Saturday practically assures a good hay crop. 



Hadley (H. C. Russell). — The season is very late and there 

 is not much corn planted. The promise for pastures and mowings 

 is excellent. The fruit bloom was the heaviest for years and the 

 damage from frost was very slight. No insects have appeared as 

 yet. Spraying is not much practised but is on the increase. Farm 

 help is scarce and one-fourth of it is good help. AVages are $20 

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

 will be a small increase in the acreage of tobacco. 



Hatfield (Thaddeus Graves). — The season is cold and back- 

 ward. Pastures and mowings promise well and fall seeding win- 

 tered well. The fruit bloom was excellent, but it suffered somewhat 

 from frost. No insects are doing damage, probably because of 

 the cold weather. Spraying is not practised here. Farm help is 

 plenty, but hardly any of it is really good help. Wages average 

 $20 per month with board and $32 per month without board. 

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



Williamsburg (F. C. Richards). — The season is about ten days 

 late. Pastures are coming on w 7 ell and mowings look well, though 

 slightly winter-killed. The fruit bloom of all kinds was very full, 

 but cherries, plums and peaches were destroyed by the late frosts. 

 Spraying is not much practised and is not increasing. Farm help 

 is very scarce and not one-fourth of it is good help. Wages are 

 from SI 5 to $20 per month with board and from $25 to $35 per 

 month without board. There are uo marked changes in the 

 acreage of farm crops. 



Huntington (H. W. Stickney). — The present season is fully as 

 promising as usual. I have never seen the prospect for a good 

 grass crop more promising. No insects have appeared as yet. 

 Spraying has never been practised here very much. Good help is 

 scarce but there is plenty of poor help. Wages are from $15 to 

 $16 per month with board. More of our farmers have gone into 

 raising vegetables than formerly. 



Jfiddlefield (J. T. Bryan). — The season is ten days later than 

 usual. Grass lands started slowly, but are now looking finely. 

 Fruit trees are blossoming abundantly with no injury from frost. 

 No damage from insects is reported as yet. Very little spraying 

 is done here. Help is very scarce, but most farmers are supplied 



