13 



cents per bushel higher than now. The market for all vegetables 



is much poorer than ten years ago, owing to Southern competition. 



Pork sold at that time for eight to ten cents a pound, now for 



five to five and one-half cents. An exception might be made 



of tobacco, which sells as high as ten years ago. The price of 



nearly all farm produce has declined. 



H. C. Russell. 



Northampton. — Our hay and beef market is not as good as ten 

 years ago, neither is the market as good for special crops. The 

 value of farms and farming lands has decreased more than one- 

 third in ten years. D. A. Horton. 



South Hadley Falls. — Farmers who are trying to plant land 



that is rather moist and heavy have not finished yet, and will 



hardly get through this week. The fruit trees have blossomed 



light. 



H, W. Gaylord. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Chelmsford. — There has been quite an increase here in the cul- 

 tivation of small fruits, but not to the extent to require much 

 more help. There has been some frost two mornings the past 

 week, but not severe enough to kill early vegetables. The temper- 

 ature has been down to forty degrees nights much of the time, 

 which serves to keep back early crops, although potatoes are look- 

 ing quite as well as the average years. 



P. P. Perham. 



Hudson. — Our farmers have changed their system of crops and 

 stock production, to meet the wants of our growing home markets. 

 The production of fat cattle is next to nothing. Some are kept to 

 procure manure more than anything else. Making pork is not 

 profitable for our farmers. Baldwin and Porter apple trees now 

 make a favorable show for a good crop of fruit, far better than 

 last year. 



Geo. a. Cotting. 



Littleton. — The E. T. Cowdry Company have a factory near 

 the F. R. R. station for packing canned goods. It has been in 

 operation ten or twelve years ; August, September and October 

 are the busy months. String and shell beans, peas, apples, toma- 

 toes and sweet corn are packed. Pickles to a considerable extent 

 are bought and salted at this factory, giving farmers in this 

 vicinity an opportunity to add one or more of these crops to their 



