25 



There was a full fruit bloom, and no damage from frosts. No insects 

 have appeared as yet. Planting is progressing fairly well. There is 

 plenty of poor, inexperienced help from shops and mills, but good 

 help is very scarce. Wages range from $15 to $25 per month with 

 board and $6 to $10 per week without board. Many farmers have 

 sold their cows or reduced the number kept, and more car milk is 

 being sold, most people preferring cheap milk to good milk. 



ESSEX COUNTY-. 



Salisbury (Wesley Pettengill). — Pastures and mowings are 

 looking well, and fall seeding wintered well. There was a full bloom 

 of all kinds of fruits and small fruits, with no injury from frost. There 

 are a few tent caterpillars doing damage, but not as many as usual. 

 Planting is late, owing to cold weather. Help is more plenty than 

 usual, but not more than half can be called good help. Wages range 

 from $20 to $25 per month with board and $1.50 to $2 per day without 

 board. There will be more corn planted than usual. 



North Andover (Peter Holt). — The season is just about a normal 

 one. Pastures and mowings look well, but fall seeding was badly 

 thrown out by freezing of the ground last winter. There is a full 

 bloom on all fruit trees, and no damage from frost. Brown-tail moths 

 are doing some damage. Planting is well advanced. There are plenty 

 of men looking for work, but help is just as scarce as ever. Wages 

 range from $20 to $25 per month with board and $1.50 to $1.75 per 

 day without board. There have been more gardens planted in the 

 villages than for many years, owing to so rnany men being out of 

 employment. 



Andover (MiLO H. Gould). — The season is a little later than 

 usual. Pastures and mowings are in good condition, but fall seeding 

 did not winter well. The fruit bloom is abundant, with no damage 

 from frost. Tent caterpillars are doing some damage. Planting is 

 just beginning. Farm help is more plenty than for the past few 

 years. Wages average $20 per month with board and $1.50 per day 

 without board. There are no marked changes in the acreage of farm 

 crops. 



Hamilton (G. R. Dodge). — The weather has averaged cool, and 

 the season is later than usual. Pastures and mowings are looking 

 well, but fall seeding did not come through the winter well. There 

 is a full bloom of all tree and bush fruits, and no apparent injury from 

 frost. The tent caterpillar is doing the usual amount of damage, and 

 the gypsy moth seems to be gaining ground, but the brown-tail moth 

 is not much in evidence. Planting is pretty well advanced. Farm 

 help is not plentiful, and is only fair in quahty. Most farmers hire 

 by the day, paying $1.75 or $2 without board. Some farmers are 

 putting in corn for grain, otherwise no marked changes in the acreage 

 of farm crops. 



