15 



peaches and small fruits suffered somewhat from frosts. The 



practice of spraying is on the increase. Farm help is scarce. 



Wages range from $20 to S'26 per month with board, and average 



SI. 50 per day without board. More corn will be planted than 



ordinarily. 



HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 



Greemvich (Wm. S. Douglas). — The season is about a normal 

 one. Pastures and mowings are backward, but fall seeding win- 

 tered well. The fruit bloom was much heavier than last year, but 

 has suffered somewhat from late frosts. Tent caterpillars are 

 doing some damage. Spraying is not much practised. Farm help 

 is scarce. Wages average $25 per month with board, and $1.50 

 per day without board. There will be no marked change in the 

 acreage of the usual farm crops. 



Prescott (W. F. Wendermuth) . — The season is ten days late, 

 with frequent late frosts, and the season's work is also ten days 

 behind the normal. Fall seeding wintered fairly well, but pastures 

 are in need of rain. There was a large fruit bloom, but early 

 varieties have suffered from frost in some places. Tent cater- 

 pillars are the only insects doing damage. No spraying is done. 

 Farm help is scarce, but is mostly good. Wages range from $20 

 to $25 per month with board, an average $1.50 per day without 

 board. The acreage of corn will be increased about 25 per cent. 

 Several of our abandoned farms have been sold during the past 

 year, and will be occupied by real farmers this year. 



Amherst (Wm. P. Brooks). — The season's work is exception- 

 ally forward, but the nights during May and many of the days 

 have been cool, so that rain and warm weather are needed for 

 growth of crops. Mowings and pastures look well, but need rain 

 soon ; fall seeding wintered well. Peaches, plums and apples 

 made a very full bloom ; pears and cherries uneven ; tree fruits 

 have not suffei'ed from frost, but the early bloom of strawberries 

 was generally killed. Tent caterpillars are the only insect doing 

 damage Spraying is generally practised by growers who are in 

 fruit as a specialty, but not much by others, and is not increasing 

 much. Wages range from $12 to $18 per month with board for 

 ordinary farm help, and from $18 to $25 for first-class help ; 

 without board, first-class men command from $35 to $40, others 

 from $5 to $10 less. The acreage of onions, corn and tobacco 

 will be increased, and a little tobacco will be grown under cloth. 



Granby (G. A. Blisii). — The season is a good fair one so far. 

 Pastures and mowings look fairly well, but need rain now ; fall 

 seeding wintered well. There was a full fruit bloom, but it suffered 



