23 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Marlborough (E. D. Howe). — The season is about a normal one. 

 Pastures and mowings need warm rains; fall seeding wintered well. 

 Apples, pears, peaches and plums show a full bloom; small fruits 

 just commencing, with promise good; no damage from frosts. Brown- 

 tail moths and tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Planting 

 is well advanced, probably up to the normal. There are plenty of 

 mill hands looking for work on farms, and a fair amount of good 

 help is obtainable. Wages average $25 per month with board and 

 $1.75 per day without board. There are more potatoes put in than 

 usual. 



Stoiv (Geo. W. Bradley). — The season is about up to the average. 

 The promise for pastures and mowings is good, and fall seeding win- 

 tered well. There is an average fruit bloom, and no signs of injury 

 from frost. A very few tent caterpillars are doing damage. Plant- 

 ing is progressing well, much corn ha^^ng been planted and some 

 potatoes being up. Farm help is scarce, and very poor. Wages 

 range from $12 to $30 per month with board and $1.50 to $2.25 per 

 day without board. There will be an increased acreage of corn and 

 potatoes. 



Littleton (Geo. W. Sanderson). — The season compares very 

 favorably with the normal. Pastures and mowings promise well, 

 and fall seeding wintered well. There was an excellent fruit bloom, 

 and no damage from frost. The tent caterpillar is the only insect that 

 has appeared. Planting is progressing well. There is more farm 

 help than last year, and it is better help. Wages average from $20 

 to $25 per month with board and $35 per month without board. 

 There is no marked change in the acreage of farm crops. 



Westford (J. W. Fletcher). — The season is fully up to the normal. 

 Grass never looked better at this time of year. Early apples bloomed 

 full, and pears and peaches shoAV full blooms; no damage from frost. 

 Planting is about two weeks further advanced than last year. Farm 

 help is plenty. Wages average $20 per month with board and $35 

 per month without board. There will be no marked changes in the 

 acreage of the usual farm crops. 



Dunstable (A. J. Gilson). — The present season is a little ahead 

 of a normal season. Pastures and mowings never looked better at 

 this time of year; some fall seeding wintered well, while in other 

 locations it winter-killed badly. The bloom of all kinds of fruit has 

 been abundant, with no damage from frost. Tent caterpillars are 

 the only insects doing damage at present. Planting is progressing 

 rapidly, and will be completed in a few days. Farm help is more 

 plenty than it has been for two or three years past, and about one- 

 fourth of it is good help. Wages average $1.25 per day with board 



