30 



are doing more damage than any other insects at the present time. 

 Planting is very backward, much plowing being mifinished at this 

 writing. Farm help is very scarce, with but little good help avail- 

 able. Wages run from $12 to $25 per month with board, and 

 average from $1.75 to $2 per day without board. There will be 

 more corn than usual this year. Have noticed no damage from 

 pheasants. 



Concord (Wm. H. Hunt). — The ground is wet with frequent 

 rains but planting is up to the average. Fall seeding has wintered 

 well, and pastures and mowings promise well. The bloom of apples 

 is full, of pears light, of peaches very light, and other fruits about 

 an average bloom. No late frosts. Cutworms and tent caterpillars 

 are quite plenty. Planting on high land has progressed well but 

 on low land it is somewhat backward. It is difficult to get good 

 help. Wages, $25 per month with board, and $45 without board; 

 the former varies from $20 to $30, with the quality. Rather more 

 potatoes have been planted than usual in this section. No com- 

 plaints of damage by pheasants. 



Lexington (Howard M. Munroe). — The season is very backward, 

 wet and cold. Pastures and mowings in fine condition; fall seeding 

 wintered well on high lands but suffered some loss on low lands. 

 Fruit bloom has not suffered from frost but at least half of the 

 peach buds were winterkilled. Tent caterpillars, brown-tail and 

 gypsy moths, cutworms and lice on the young apple trees are doing 

 much damage. Planting is far behind, and vegetation is making a 

 very slow growth. Good help is harder to get every year, perhaps 

 one out of five may be called good. Wages about $27 per month 

 with board, and $1.40 per day without board. Pheasants are doing 

 damage to the corn crop. It is almost impossible to save seed corn 

 in perfect condition, as almost every ear is pecked and much is 

 stripped to the cob. Have counted as many as ten in a piece of 

 ripening field com of not over one acre. The pheasants also scratch 

 up the seed after it is planted, not waiting for it to sprout, for 

 they seem to know just where it is and scratch it out like a hen. 



Stoneham (J. E. Wiley). — The season is backward. Pastures 

 and mowing's look very good, but fall seeding did not winter very 

 well. The fruit bloom in general has been rather light, and there 

 have been no late frosts. The damage by insects to date has been 

 insignificant. Planting is progressing slowly. There is not enough 

 help employed to give an estimate. There will be no marked change 

 in the acreage of the principal farm crops. I have heard of no 

 damage done by pheasants. 



South Sndhury (E. W. Goodnow). — The season is backward. 

 Pastures and mowings look very promising, and fall seeding-s have 

 wintered vei*y well. There is a good bloom on apples, pears and 



