66 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 169. 



Frosts,^ 



Year. 



First Frost. 



1913, 

 1914, 

 1915, 



September 10 

 September 28 

 September 23 



These tables are inserted to give the reader some idea of the climatic 

 conditions prevalent in the Connecticut Valley. For comparative pur- 

 poses the twenty-five years' mean (1889-1913) is also given. The crop 

 year 1914 was ideal for onions, judged from the standpoint of yield and 

 keeping quality, while 1915 was decidedly below the average in these 

 respects. Note the departures from the normal during the growing and 

 harvesting season, both in precipitation and sunshine. 



Onions are now grown successfully in the United States on three general 

 types of soil. 



1. Clay and Alluvial. — These soils, though fertile, usually need a 

 considerable amount of manure to lighten them. They are the soils 

 of the river valleys and delta regions near the coast. Spanish and Egyp- 

 tian varieties are almost exclusively grown on soils of this type. 



2. Muck and Peat. ■ — ■ These are found in large areas throughout the 

 States bordering the Great Lakes. They require considerable attention 

 before they are suitable for onion growing. On this type are grown most 

 of the Orange County (New York) and Ohio onions. There are still 

 very large tracts of this soil awaiting reclamation. 



3. Sandy Loams. — These soils, especially when overlying a well- 

 drained subsoil as in the Connecticut Valley and with a liberal application 

 of commercial fertilizer, are ideal for onion growing. The silt loam known 

 as "Connecticut meadows" has a decided advantage over others in that 

 the onions mature better, become much harder and are of better keeping 

 quality. The onions grown on this soil are found on the market in March 

 and April, and even as late as May. 



In the Connecticut Valley the physical character of the soil determines 

 the specific crop to be grown, and the adaptability of those soil types to 

 such special crops has been the principal basis of land valuation for the 

 last half-century. The principal competing crops are tobacco, corn, 

 hay and potatoes. 



There is still much land in the towns of Northampton, Amherst, Deer- 

 field and Montague which might easily be put into condition for successful 

 onion growing. In Hatfield, Sunderland and Whately, however, practi- 

 cally all the available land suitable for profitable onion growing is now 

 devoted to the crop and very little extension of the present area is possible. 



1 Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 153, and Massachusetts Meteoro- 

 logical Bulletins 301-331. 



