28 



THE CUBA REVI EW 



PROFITS IN ONION CULTURE. 



Cuba's Importations and United States Consumption. 



Condensed from Farmers' Bulletin 354, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



There is $1,000,000 in onions alone for the 

 colonists in Cuba in the trade of one coun- 

 try, viz., the United States. This country 

 produces annually 14,000,000 bushels, valued 

 at $10,000,000, and this for home consump- 

 tion only. In addition we import annually 

 1,400,000 bushels from various countries, 

 Spain, Egypt, Bermuda, etc. The onion is 

 well adapted for growing commercially on 

 a smal scale nearly everywhere and very 

 little capital is required for a beginning. 

 The growing of Spanish and Bermuda 

 onions in the Gulf Coast States has become 

 a great industry, for a great quantity of this 

 type of onion can be grown upon a small 



drainage and freedom from weeds. Clayey 

 soils bake after hard rains and are there- 

 fore very injurious to the small plants, but 

 if this kind of soil is mixed with sand it 

 is ideal for onion culture. S'andy soils re- 

 quire heavy applications of fertilizer and 

 should be underdrained. Cowpeas turned 

 under and the occasional applications of 

 about 1,200 pounds of lime to the acre will 

 supply ample humus. 



Once the weeds get a start the cost of 

 production is increased or the crop may be 

 lost altogether. New land is not generally 

 adapted to onion growing until it has been 

 worked one or two years with crops of 



Irrigation of Bermuda Onions in Texas. 



area, a few thousand acres producing all corn, beans or potatoes ; then it should be 



the average market can handle at a profit manured heavily, giving sufficient time to 



to the owner. There are few places where be thoroughly incorporated. Do not plant 



onions will not grow. the same piece of land year after year, but 



Perfect crops are secured in Egypt in rotate with truck crops, choosing that which 

 alluvial as well as volcanic soils, in the will not be exhaustive. Continuous plant- 

 South Sea Islands, in sandy plains, in irri- ing will infest the land with disease and in- 

 gated portions of deserts, in reclaimed sect enemies, which will sooner or later 

 swamp soils, and in fact everywhere. In work much damage. 



the early stages of their growth they require If you can get the ingredients the follow- 



an abundance of moisture, but should be ing fertilizer formula is good : 



ripened vmder comparatively dry conditions. Pounds. 



In Texas the growing season extends Sulphate of ammonia, 25% 200 



from the middle of September to the fol- Dried blood 300 



lowing March or April. Cotton-seed meal 300 



A suitable soil includes a high state of Acid phosphate 800 



fertility, easily workable conditions, sufficient Muriate of potash, 50% 400 



