32 



the same as usual, except on cold, wet lands. Farm help is rather 

 scarce and wages are from $30 to $35 per month with board, or 

 $1.50 to $2 per day without board. There will be very little change 

 in the acreage of the staple farm crops this year. Have heard of 

 no damage from pheasants as yet. 



Boioley (D. H. O'Brien). — The season hei-e is very late, cold and 

 wet. The promise for pastures and mowings is very good. Very 

 little fall seeding was done, owing to the high price of seed. The 

 bloom of apples, pears and plums was heavy, but peaches were very 

 light. No late frosts. Tent caterpillars doing some damage. Plant- 

 ing is progressing very slowly, owing to the baclcward weather. 

 Help is scarce, and about 50 per cent is good help. The average paid 

 here for help is $25 per month with board, and $1.75 per day with- 

 out board. The acreage of corn this year will be larger than usual, 

 but that of potatoes will be decreased. Pheasants are doing some 

 damage by pulling corn and digging potatoes. 



North Andover (Peter Holt). — The land is as yet too wet to 

 handle and the weather is cold, wet and backward. Grass land is in 

 fine shape, and fall seeding wintered very well. Apple bloom very 

 uneven, fall apples looking well; peach bloom full and pear bloom 

 light. No damage from frosts. The tent caterpillar is doing the 

 greatest damage so far. Land is too wet to work, except on the very 

 high, dx'j' pieces. Help is scarce; the proportion of good help 

 depends on the standard you fix; I see no good help. Wages are 

 $25 per month with board, or $1.75 to $2 per day for transient help. 

 Pheasants are quite plentiful; they pick up a large amount of grain, 

 and come so near the buildings that they do some damage in gardens, 

 eating peas and other seeds out of the gTOund. 



Topsfield (B. P. Pike). — The spring has been cold, wet and 

 backward. Pastures are good where not too badly burnt up last 

 year. Mowings good where in good condition from last year, and 

 fall seedings wintered well. Plums blossomed well; apples a fair 

 bloom; peaches wintei'killed. Tent caterpillars are doing quite a 

 little damage. Planting is late. Help is scarce, and about 25 per 

 cent is good help. "Wages per month, with board, are from $25 to 

 $30; without board, $40. There will be no marked change in the 

 amount of land planted to the usual farm crops. Nothing has come 

 up yet for the pheasants to harm. 



Hamilton (Geo. R. Dodge). — The season is very backward and 

 farm work, much delayed by the cool, wet weather. Fall seeding 

 went through the winter very well, and pastures and mowings look 

 better than for several seasons past. There seems to be a normal 

 bloom of all tree fruits except the peach; bush fruits and straw- 

 berries looking well. No damage from late frosts. The tent cater- 

 pillar seems to be doing more damage than usual in this locality. 



