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Wages average $20 per month with board and $1.50 per day without 

 board. There is nothing especially new in agriculture. 



Sterling (Henry S. Sawyer). — The season is very backward in 

 every respect. Pastures and mowings are looking fairly well, and fall 

 seeding wintered fairly well. Peaches suffered from frost, also small 

 fruits; good bloom of apples, pears and plums. No insects are doing 

 damage. Planting is progressing very slowly, very few having any corn 

 planted. Farm help is very scarce, and hardly one-third can be called 

 good help. Wages average $20 per month with board and $1 . 50 per day 

 without board. There will be about the usual acreage of farm crops. 



Northborough (John K. Mills). — The season is two weeks late. 

 Grass is coming along nicely in pastures and mowings; fall seeding 

 wintered well. There appears to be a good bloom of all kinds of fruit. 

 There is but little damage being done by insects. Planting is progress- 

 ing slowly, the ground being too cold for planting of most crops. There 

 is but little good farm help. Wages range from $20 to $35 per month 

 and from $1 .75 to $2 per day. The acreage of corn and potatoes will 

 be as large as last year, if we have warm weather soon. 



Auburn (Wm. Gilbert). — The weather is very cold, and the season 

 fully two weeks late. Pastures and mowings look well; fall seeding 

 wintered well. Fruit trees promise a good bloom. Cut worms are 

 doing some damage. Planting is progressing very slowly, owing to 

 cold weather. Farm help is very scarce, and only about one-half of 

 it can be called good help. Wages average $25 per month with board 

 and about $2 per day without board. There will be no marked changes 

 in the acreage of farm crops. 



Oxford (D. M. Howe). — The season is two weeks late. Pastures 

 and mowings promise well, and fall seeding wintered well. The fruit 

 bloom is not out at time of reporting. Insects are not doing any damage 

 as yet. Planting is progressing very slowly. Farm help is scarce, and 

 little of it good. Wages average $25 per month with board and $35 

 without. The acreage of corn and potatoes will be somewhat increased. 

 Many of our best farmers are going into poultry to a greater or less 

 extent. 



Blackstone (0. F. Fuller). — The season is backward. Mowings 

 promise a good crop of hay, and fall seeding looks well. There will 

 probably not be more than a half crop of fruit this year. The San Jose 

 scale is doing much damage in this section. Planting is progressing 

 very slowly. Wages range from $15 to $20 per month with board and 

 $1.50 per day without board. There will be no marked changes in the 

 acreage of farm crops. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 



Hopkinton (W. V. Thompson). — The season is at least two weeks 

 late. Pastures and mowings are in good condition, and fall seeding 

 wintered well. No peach bloom; plums light; pears full; apples full 



