20 



peaches none; pears, plums and small fruits full; early straw- 

 berry blooms suffered from frost. Tent caterpillars are doing 

 some damage. Spraying is not practised at all against insects 

 attacking fruit. 'Not much help is hired in this locality. 



Framinghavi (J. S. Williams). — The season has been unusu- 

 ally hot and dry. Pastures will be short and hay light, unless rain 

 comes soon ; fall seeding wintered in first-class shape, and prom- 

 ised well. There was an unusually large fruit bloom, but it was 

 ruined l)y frosts. Tent caterpillars are numerous. Considerable 

 spraying is done, and the practice is growing in favor. Farm-'help 

 is scarce, and about half of it is poor, incompetent help. Wages 

 average from $20 to $25 per month with board, and from $3.5 to 

 $40 per month without board. More ensilage crops will be sown 

 this season than ever before. 



Marlborough (E. D. Howe). — The season is about two weeks 

 earlier than the normal, with rather too little rain. Pastures will 

 soon be very short, and most mowings are light ; fall seeding win- 

 tered well. The fruit bloom was 80 per cent for apples, 100 per 

 cent for pears, nothing for peaches, 75 per cent for plums and 80 

 per cent for small fruits, and there has been no injury from frosts. 

 Currant worms and tent caterpillars are doing some damage. 

 About two-thirds of our farmers spray, but the practice is not in- 

 creasing. There is a fair supply of farm help, with about half of 

 it good help, these coming largely from Nova Scotia. Wages 

 average from $20 to 12.5 per month with board, and from $9 to 

 $10.50 per week without board. There will be rather more corn 

 than usual raised. 



Stow (G. W. Bradley). — The season is about an average one. 

 Pastures and mowings are looking well at present, but need rain 

 soon. The fruit bloom was not as heavy as usual, and the early 

 bloom was killed by frosts. Tent caterpillars are doing some 

 damage. Wages for farm help range from $12 to $20 per month 

 with board, and from $1.25 to $1.75 per day without board. 



Townsend (G. A. Wilder). — The season is about a normal 

 one. The prospect for pastures and mowings is poor, unless rain 

 comes very soon ; fall seeding wintered well. The fruit bloom was 

 very light, and frost caused great damage. Tent caterpillars are 

 doing some damage. Spraying is hardly practised at all. Farm 

 help is scarce, and one-third of it good help, the rest " green." 

 Wages average $18 per month with board for young help, and $25 

 per month with board for men, with $1.50 per day the prevailing 

 price without board. 



Groton (Jas. P. Fitch). — The season is a good one, though 

 somewhat dry. Pastures and mowings are looking well ; fall seed- 



