10 



and cut worms were those most commonly complained of. 

 Others mentioned are currant worms, potato bugs, wire 

 Avorms and the brown-tail moth caterpillars. 



Spraying. 



Spraying of fruit trees is practically confined to those 

 farmers who make more or less of a specialty' of fruit grow- 

 ing, and these claim that they find it profitable, as would 

 others if the}^ could be persuaded to give it a trial. 

 Practically all farmers use some insecticide on their potatoes, 

 but a surprisingly small proportion of them take the trouble 

 to use a fungicide to prevent blight and rot. As this is the 

 ofl* year for apples there will be less spraying of fruit trees 

 than on the bearing year, though perhaps the falling off Avill 

 not be as marked as usual, owing to the full set of other 

 fruits. 



Farm Help and Wages. 



Farm help appears to be in fairly good supply and most 

 of it fair to good help, though there are but a limited num- 

 ber of strictly first-class farm hands. Twent}- dollars per 

 month with board is a fair average of the wages paid in the 

 country districts, with slightly higher rates in and around 

 the cities, while $35 per month is the general rate without 

 board. For day work the prevailing price seems to be $1.50 

 per day in most sections, though in some the old rate of 

 $1.25 still prevails, except in hajing and harvest time. 



Acreage or Farm Crops. 

 For the State as a whole there will apparently be a slight 

 increase in the acreao-e of corn and a slio-ht decrease in that 

 of potatoes. In the Connecticut valley a slight increase in 

 the acreage of tobacco and a substantial increase in that 

 of onions is indicated. An increase in the area under cran- 

 berry bog is reported from south-eastern sections. More 

 forage crops are being planted than usual, and there are two 

 reports of attempts to introduce alfalfa, with indiflferent suc- 

 cess thus far. 



