78 



We award to Albert Titcomb of Rowley, for best crop of 

 Daiivers Onions, tlie 1st premium of Diploma and |10. 



To Albert E. Lufkin of Essex, Diploma and -f 10, for liis crop 

 of Stone Mason Cabbages. 



Committee — A. B. Fellows, James F. King, Joseph S. Howe, 

 Aaron Low. 



STATEMENT OE ALBERT TITCOMB. 



Statement concerning a crop of onions, raised by Albert 

 Titcomb in the town of Rowley, 1873. 



In 1871 the crop was onions. Cattle manure from barn 

 cellar, about thirty loads to acre was used. 



The crop of 1872 was onions, and about the same kind and 

 quantity of manure was used as in '71. A strong, floury soil 

 with clay bottom. 



For the crop of 1873, ploughed once the previous autumn, 

 about five inches deep; after ploughing wc applied thirty loads 

 of thirty bushels each, barn cellar manure on the top. In the 

 spring the laiid was thoroughly pulverized with wheel, tooth 

 and brush htirrows. The manure was applied in a green state, 

 and became hard and crusty ; fearing that it was not fertile 

 enough for plant food in the early season, 1 spread on the top 

 and harrowed in six hundred pounds of Cumberland Super- 

 phosphate to three fourths of an acre. Wc then raked the 

 land smooth, and on the IBth of May sowed, with seed sower, 

 Yellow Danvers Onion seed, at the rate of five pounds to the 

 acre. Half the seed was new and half one year old. I think 

 the new seed did the best. We hoed and weeded the bed four 

 times, and weeded once when the onions were large. The crop 

 was harvested in this manner : — Wc pulled four rows, threw 

 them on the bed, then hoed the space and raked the weeds 

 clean ; we pulled four rows more and threw thera on the clean 

 space ; hoed and raked as before, and so on through the whole 

 bed. 



Part of tlie onions were topped on the bed, the remainder 

 carted to barn to be topped in unfavorable weather. Tlia top- 

 ping can be done much quicker on the bed if the weather is 

 favorable. 



