60 



The Onion in Jamaica. 

 {From Bulletin, Jamaica, August, 1890.) 



Climate and soil vary so much in Jamaica, and the island is so fa- 

 vourably situated for supphing the fruit and vegetable markets of 

 Canada and the Northern United States in winter and spring, that 

 every district could doubtless produce some paying croj). 



The onion is the staple product of Bermuda, and His Excellency 

 Sir H. A. Blake has directed that it shall be tried in Jamaica. 



In Bermuda the seed is imported everj'^ year from the Canary Islands, 

 and a supply is expected immediately for the Department from Messrs. 

 Hamilton & Co of Teneriffe. Some of the seeds will be sown in the 

 Gardens, and small amounts will be distributed at cost price to those 

 who wish to try it in various districts and at different elevations. Ex- 

 cellent onions have alreadj^ been grown in St. Ann, by Mr. J. C. Ste- 

 phens at Radnor in the Blue Mountains, and by Mr. Palache, near 

 Mandeville. 



There are two varieties grown in the Canary Islands, the white and 

 the red. The white onion ripens sooner than the red, and therefore 

 commands a better price. But as the white variety tends to lose its 

 character and become red, except in the Island of Palma, the seed is 

 obtained only from there, and is more than double the price of the red. 



Mr. Peter Henderson, Seed Merchant, New York, estimates the 

 profit per acre as follows : — 



" The average product of the onion crop varies very much, ranging 

 from 300 to 900 bushels per acre, the mean being about 600 bushels 

 per acre. The price is variable like all perishable commodities, rang- 

 ing from fifty cents, per bushel, the price at which they usually whole- 

 sale in the New York market in fall, to $1 or ^1.50 per bushel for 

 winter and spring prices. The estimate, then, of profit per acre may 

 be given about as follows : — 



Manure per acre ... ... $72.00 



Ploughing, weeding, and harvesting crop, 



per ac e ... ... lOO.OO' 



61bs. seed, average $2 per lb. ... 12.00 



Rent or interest on land, per acre ... 9.00 



Marketing crop, per acre ... 7.00 



S200.000 



600 bushels per acre, at 50c. ... $300.00 



Cost ... ... 200.U0 



Profit ... ... $100.00 



This estimate is a moderate one ; for if the crop is sold in spring, 

 the chances .ire that the profit maj' be two or three times as much." 



Sir F. von Mueller, Grovernment Botanist of Victoriii, thus speaks 

 of its successful culture in Austialia: — "The Onion is a native of 

 Turkestan, succeeds even in equatorial countries, maturing seed fit to 

 germinate, in the hottest desert-regions of Central Australia. As 

 much as 20 tons of Onions have been harvested from an acre of land 



