514 SCOTT COUNTY, IOWA. 



My variety of fruit has a beautiful red cheek. They are 

 all freestone, aiul sell readily in market. I have now some fifty 

 early and late Crawfords, three years old, with numerous fruit 

 buds. I am well satisfied with my experiment. 



ONIONS. 



Among the various crops grown in this part of the State, 

 onion raising has become one of the leading pursuits. At 

 this writing, Feb. 15, 1880, farmers are anxiously looking to 

 the probable vitality or defectiveness of their seed for the com- 

 ing crop. Having grown the crop for twenty-nine years, and 

 from two to ten acres annually, I may be classed with the onion 

 growers. . Many persons have engaged in the pursuit from 

 time to time, who have not been successful, but this has been 

 mainly from inexperience , sowing on land not suited for such 

 crops, and lack of knowledge in preparing the land for sowing 

 and cultivating the same. 



SOIL. 



I am located on land which was once covered with timber 

 and hazel,' and the soil seems to be well adapted to onion grow- 

 ing. I have known eight hundred bushels to be grown on an 

 acre of the land, which at an average price of fifty cents per 

 buihcl would bring a better return than any other crop. 

 The iNIississippi bottoms are well adapted to the growth of 

 this crop. Some growers claim to have grown one thousand 

 and one thousand two hundred bushels per acre on this fertile 

 soil, of which sand seems to be an important factor. As for 

 many other root crops, the soil can not be too rich. The 

 richer the land, the earlier the crop will mature, the less rot, 

 and tlie better prices. I have used the same land successively 

 in one instance for twenty years. 



PREPARATION. 



The land should be plowed, if possible in the Fall, from eight 

 to ten inches deep. The action of the frost on the plowed land 

 is important, as well as the packing process of Winter, Spring 



