ON ROOT CULTURE. 87 



the Society. For it will be remembered that a large part of the 

 generation who founded the Society have past away ; and the re- 

 mainder are admonished that they will soon cease to be useful. 

 For the Committee, 



J. W. PROCTOR. 

 Danvers, November 15th, 1847. 



AARON C. PROCTOR'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on Boot Culture : 



Gentlemen, — At the request of my brother, I present a state- 

 ment of my cultivation of onions for five years past. I do this, not 

 pretending to any superior knowledge, for I am a novice in the busi- 

 ness ; nor to any extraordinary crops ; but to show by what steps I 

 have advanced ; and enable others to guard against my errors. 



In 1843, 1 appropriated half an acre of flat land to this use. The 

 soil a sandy loam of fair quality. The land had been planted with 

 carrots and beets the preceding year. I put upon it two and a half 

 cords of stable manure, and a leach of ashes. Ploughed in the ma- 

 nure — ploughing about five inches deep. Wed twice thoroughly, 

 and once after haying. Raised two hundred and fifty bushels. On 

 the carrot ground, there was one-quarter part more onions, than on 

 the beet ground ; and they came forward earlier and fairer. 



In 1844, 1 cultivated the same piece of ground, and applied about 

 the same manure. Wed twice, and used the onion hoe in clearing 

 the weeds ; found this to relieve the severity of the labor. Sold 

 from the lot three hundred bushels at half a dollar a bushel. One 

 quarter part of the lot was planted with seed that I purchased, that 

 came up badly, and yielded but little. At the second time weeding, 

 I sowed grass-seed on the land, which took well, and has continued 

 since to yield at least two tons to the acre. 



In 1845, I took a piece of elevated ground, three-quarters of an 

 acre, rocky, hard land, strong, black soil, rather moist, and not for- 

 ward ; had been planted two years with corn, ordmary manuring, and 

 yielded about forty bushels to the acre. I split the hills and plough- 

 ed, as early as the ground would admit of its being done ; spread on 



