21 



ing wintered well. Tlie fruit bloom compares favorably with a 

 normal bloom, and has not suffered from frost. Tent caterpillars 

 are doing some damage. Spraying is decreasing. Farm help is 

 scarce, with half of that available good help. Wages average 

 $20 per month with board, and $35 per month without board. 



Westfonl (J. W. Fletcher). — The season is about a normal 

 one. Pastures are suffering from drought ; fall seeding wintered 

 well. The fruit bloom was good in this section, but was some- 

 what injured by frosts. Spraying is not much practised against 

 insects attacking fruit. Farm help is scarce. Wages average 

 from $20 to $25 per month with board for good help. 



Concord (Wm. H. Hunt) . — May has been a very dry month. 

 Fall seeding did well, but mowings and pastures are in need of 

 rain. Apples had a medium bloom, pears light, peaches none at 

 all. Spraying is increasing slowly, but few farmers practise it as 

 yet. Good farm help is scarce, and only a small proportion of 

 the supply is really good. Wages average about $20 to $25 per 

 month with board, and $35 per month without board, with green 

 men receiving less. 



Winchester (S. S. Symmks). — May has been very dry and hot, 

 and foliage is more forward than usual. Pastures and many mow- 

 ings are practically dried up ; fall seeding wintered well. No peach 

 bloom ; bloom of other fruits heavy. Gypsy moths are here in 

 millions, and have already denuded some trees. There is not 

 much spraying done, but nevertheless more than ever before. 

 Good help is very scarce indeed. Wages average $22 per month 

 with board, and $40 per month without board. The acreage of 

 many farm crops will be less than heretofore. No rain has fallen 

 since most crops were planted, and a great deal of the seed has not 

 come up, and cannot until rain falls. 



Stoneham (J. E. Wiley). — The season is a fair average one. 

 The promise for pastures and mowings is poor ; fall seeding win- 

 tered well. The fruit bloom was very heavy, and has not Ijeen 

 damaged by frosts. Brown-tail moth caterpillars are doing some 

 damage. Half our farmers spray, and the practice is increasing. 

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

 average $20 per month with board, and $10 per week without 

 board. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 



Haverhill (Eben Webster). — The season is about a normal 

 one, except for the drought. Pastures are in good condition, 

 and mowings fair ; fall seeding wintered well. There was about 

 a normal fruit bloom, with the exception of peaches, Avhich did 

 not blo6m at all. Tent caterpillars and canker worms are doing 



