22 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Haverhill (Eben Webster). — The season is cold and back- 

 ward. Fall seeding wintered well, and pastures and mowings 

 look well. There has been about an average fruit bloom and it 

 has not suffered from frosts. Tent caterpillars and brown-tail 

 moths are doing some damage. Spraying is practised to a con- 

 siderable extent and is on the increase. Good farm help is scarce, 

 one-fourth of the supply being of that class. Wages average $20 

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

 were heavy white frosts on the mornings of the 2l8t and 22d, but 

 not much damage to crops. 



Groveland (A. S. Longfellow). — The season is cold and rather 

 backward, with not enough rain. There is not much feed in pas- 

 tures, but fall seeding looks well. Apples made a good bloom for 

 an off year ; pears, peaches and plums bloomed full. Spraying is 

 not practised for any insects except canker worms. Good help is 

 scarce. Wages average $20 per month with board, and $30 per 

 month without board. There are no marked changes in the acre- 

 age of farm crops. 



Andover (M. H. Gould). — The season is backward. The 

 promise for pastures and mowings is very poor, but fall seeding 

 wintered well. Fruits blossomed well for the off year, and have 

 not suffered from frosts. Spraying is practised but little, yet is 

 on the increase. Farm help is scarce, and very little of it good 

 help. Wages average $22 per mouth with board, and $1.50 per 

 day without board. 



Toj^fjield (B. P. Pike). — The season is about a normal one. 

 Pastures are looking well, and fall seeding very well. All fruits 

 have bloomed well, and there has been no damage from frosts. 

 There are plenty of brown-tail moths here. Spraying is not much 

 noticed and does not increase much. Farm help is scarce and not 

 much of it is first class. Wages average $25 per mouth with 

 board, and $1.75 per day without board. There will not be quite 

 as large an acreage of any kind of farm crops as usual. Milk is 

 six cents per can higher than five years ago ; potatoes and greens 

 the lowest for years. 



Wenham (N. P. Perkins). — Everything is rather backward, 

 and seeds have not germinated well. Pastures are rather bare ; 

 well-manured fields are looking well, as is also fall seeding. There 

 was quite a good fruit bloom. Tent caterpillars and brown-tail 

 moths are the most common insects. Spraying will commence 

 soon to a limited extent. Help is fairly plenty, and one-third of 

 it good help. Wages range from $15 to $25 per month with board, 

 and average $1.50 per day without board. 



