ONION SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION. 69 



Varieties. 



In the selection of varieties, both soil conditions and market require- 

 ments must be considered. That variet}^ should be selected which has 

 the greatest number of desirable characteristics, or commands the best 

 price in the market for which it is grown. 



Over 95 per cent, of the onions grown in the Connecticut Valley are of 

 the Yellow Danvers variety. This variety, a bulb of medium size, globu- 

 lar in form, hard and compact in structure, with a close thin skin and a 

 small neck, is very productive. It has excellent keeping qualities and is, 

 therefore, well adapted for storage and shipping purposes. While it has 

 an excellent flavor, and under existing conditions is undoubtedly the best 

 general variety for the Connecticut Valley, it is, nevertheless, far inferior 

 in texture, flavor and keeping quality to the Spanish and the Denia 

 varieties. 



A small acreage of the Red Wethersfield variety is also grown and good 

 yields are reported. The bulbs are large and keep well. The skin is deep 

 purplish-red, the flesh purplish-white, somewhat coarser and of stronger 

 flavor than the yellow onions. This variety is preferred to Yellow Dan- 

 vers in some markets, especially those patronized by the French, but in 

 most eastern markets the price is much lower. 



Weeding. 

 Usually the first cultivation comes about three weeks after the seed 

 is sown, the purpose being to loosen the soil, which is always more or less 

 packed during the seeding and by rains, and to destroy all weeds. Three 

 to seven weedings and numerous workings with hand implements are 

 required, depending very largely upon the condition of the land and the 

 season. Each weeding costs from .|6 to .|8 per acre, according to the wages 

 . paid and the difficulty of weeding. The implements employed are the 

 onion hoe, shove hoe, hand cultivator and weeding hook. 



Economic Factors. 



On an average, one man can take care of about 3 acres. This amount 

 may be considerably increased if he is assisted by his wife and children. 

 Growers who plant from 10 to 75 acres must necessarily employ a large 

 force of hired men, whose time is usually distributed between the onion 

 and tobacco crops, a number being retained throughout the year, while 

 others are employed for the season. During the planting and harvesting 

 additional day laborers must be hired at wages ranging (in 1915) from 

 SI. 50 to $2 per day, without board. 



In growing onions the amount of land per man is relatively small. 

 Well fertilized and cultivated, a small acreage is more profitable than a 

 larger area only moderately well cared for. Good onion land is worth 

 from $300 to $500 per acre, and much labor is necessarily required in 



