20 



there is not as much good help as usual. Wages are from $18 to 

 $25 per month with board and from $1.25 to $1.50 per day without 

 board. There seems to be nothing new here, milk is the principal 

 line of business with a few raising fruit and vegetables. 



Oxford (D. M. Howe). — The season is above the average agri- 

 culturally speaking. Pastures and mowings promise well and fall 

 seeding wintered well. Apples made a full bloom and I think es- 

 caped the frosts. Tent caterpillars have made their appearance. 

 Spraying is not very much practised here. Farm help is scarce and 

 good hands are very hard to find. Wages are from $18 to $20 per 

 month with board and from $30 to $35 per month without board. 

 There are no marked changes in the acreage of farm crops. 



Uxbridge (Augustus Story). — The season is very favorable, 

 though planting is somewhat late owing to cold weather. Pastures 

 and mowings are in very good condition and fall seeding wintered 

 very well. The fruit bloom was very full ; peaches suffered from 

 the frosts. Canker and currant worms are doing some damage. 

 Spraying is not much practised and there has been no increase. 

 Farm help is very scarce, and not one in thirty is good help. 

 Wages range from $12 to $20* per month with board and from $25 

 to $40 per month without board. There are no marked changes 

 in the acreage of farm crops. A private creamery owned by an 

 enterprising farmer has just started. 



Hopedale (Delano Patrick). — The season is favorable but 

 rather backward. Fall seeding is a partial failure. Apple trees 

 were never in fuller bloom and were not injured by frost. There 

 are some tent caterpillars as usual. Spraying is not much prac- 

 tised and I think is not increasing. Farm help is scarce and only 

 a small percent of it is good help. Wages are $1.50 per day 

 without board. There is no particular change in the acreage of 

 farm crops and nothing new in the line of agriculture. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Sherbom (N. B. Douglas) . — The season is about ten days late. 

 Pastures and mowings both winter-killed somewhat ; fall seeding 

 wintered well. I never saw a heavier fruit bloom and cannot 

 yet tell the extent of the damage from frost. Insects have not yet 

 gotten down to business. Considerable spraying is done, but no 

 more than last year. One-third to one-half of our farm help can 

 be called good help. Wages range from $18 to $20 per month 

 with board and are about $1.50 per day without board. Things 

 jog along in about the usual way with very few changes. 



Marlborough (E. D. Howe). — The season is a normal one. 



