44 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 227. 



Acreage axd Pkoduction of Onions ix 



Massachcsetts and Chief Competing States, 1921-192.5. 



Acreacfe. 



Production (Bushels). 



Estimates. 



FERTILIZERS FOR CONNECTICUT VALLEY ONIONS 



Bv A. B. BEAUMONT and O. E. STREET 



Witliin the last third of a century the Massachusetts Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station has conducted a number of experiments with the onion 

 crop. These studies have dealt with problems of soil fertility, use of fer- 

 tilizers, plant diseases, insect pests and marketing. In this paper, ex- 

 periments dealing primarily with soil fertility and fertilizers are reviewed. 



Field experiments here reported were conducted on the Station grounds 

 at Amherst. The soils on which onions have been grown vary from fine 

 to very fine sandy loam, contain a small to fair amount of organic matter, 

 are slightly to strongly acid, and occur at elevations of 200 to 2.50 feet 

 above sea level. The field experiments are divided into two groups for 

 discussion. The first or early group extended over the period 1894 to 

 1917. This is the larger group. The second group was started in 1925 

 on the lower portion of the new Station farm known as the Brooks Farm. 

 This second group of experiments is presented first. 



After a conference with some of the leading onion growers of the Conn- 

 ecticut Valley, constituting an Advisory Committee on onions, field ex- 

 periments planned to answer the following questions were laid out: 



1. Cover crops: Is it practicable to grow cover crops in onion fields 

 of the Valley'-' If they can be grown have they any value in respect to 

 hastening maturity of the crop and maintaining fertility? What crops can 

 be grown ? 



2. liime: How much lime is necessary for best results with onions? Art- 

 large amounts in.jurious? 



3. Fertilizers: (a) What is the best ratio of ammonia, i)h()sphoric acid 

 and potash in mixed fertilizers for onions? (b) Is there any advantaae in 

 applying fertilizers at different tiiues within the season instead of all at 

 the beginning? 



