17 



fall seeding wintered fairly well. Fruit trees bloomed full, but 

 most of the fruit buds were destroyed by frost. There are large 

 numbers of tent caterpillars and currant worms doing damage, and 

 potato bugs have appeared in large numbers on early potatoes. 

 Farm help is scarce, and one-third of it good help. Wages aver- 

 age $22 per month witli board, and $35 per mouth without board. 

 Spraying against insects attacking fruit is on a decline this year. 

 Not as much planting of farm crops as usual has been done, on 

 account of the scarcity of help. 



Monson (F. D. Rogers). — The season is forward, but very 

 dry. Pastures are yielding but little feed ; fall seeding wintered 

 well. The fruit bloom was light; practically no peaches ; and all 

 fruits except apples suffered from frosts. Very little spraying has 

 been done. Farm help is very scarce, and most of it is fairly 

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

 month without board, \Yith house and fuel. There will be an in- 

 creased acreage of corn aud forage crops. 



Holland (F. Wight). — The season is earlier than usual, but 

 very dry. Feed in pastures is very poor and is drying up, and 

 mowings are the same. The fruit bloom was not up to an average 

 bloom, and was injured by frost in some places. Tent caterpillars 

 are doing some damage. Spraying is not practised to any great 

 extent, and is not increasing very rapidly. It is almost impossible 

 to get any farm help, and all that offers is considered good. 

 Wages average $1 per day with board, and $1.50 per day without 

 board. 



WORCESTER COUNTY. 



Dudley (J. J. Gillrs). — All crops are suffering severely from 

 drouglit. Pastures are yielding very little feed, and mowings are 

 at a standstill. Apples bloomed well for an off year; frost did 

 some damage to peaches and early strawberries. Tent caterpillars 

 and striped squash bugs are doing some damage. Spraying is 

 practised to but a limited extent, and is not on the increase. 

 Wages for farm help average from $18 to $20 per month with 

 board, and 15 cents per hour without board. There are no 

 marked changes in the acreage of the usual farm crops. 



Brookjield (F. E. Prouty). — The season is more forward than 

 usual, but is dry. The dry weather is injuring pastures and mow- 

 ings ; fall seeding looked well early in the season. The fruit 

 bloom in this section was generally not over one-third of a full 

 bloom. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Spraying is 

 practised but little, and does not increase much. Farm help is 



