10 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 417 



Storage temperature had a marked effect upon the keeping quality of the bulbs, 

 the subsequent seed stalk development, and the amount of seed produced. Bulbs 

 stored at 32° F. had only 2 percent soft rot, while 15 percent of the bulbs stored 

 at 45° and 59 percent of those stored at 70° had soft rot. 



Bulbs stored at 32°F. had a higher percentage of two and three seed stalks 

 and as a group produced more seed than those stored at 45°. On an individual 

 plant basis, however, bulbs stored at 45° produced about 0.23 grams more seed. 

 Only 30 percent of those stored at 70° had seed stalks and these did not produce 

 any seed. On the basis of a two years' record it is therefore recommended that 

 onions be stored in a vv ell-ventilated storage building at 32° at a low humidity. 



Onions topped short immediately after pulling had 21 percent rot and those 

 cured for a few days had 22.5 percent; while onions topped long immediately after 

 pulling had 10 percent and those cured for a few days 7.5 percent rot. These 

 onions were' stored from July 21 to March 27 in a room which had heating facil- 

 ities but no cooling system to prevent the rise of temperature on warm days. 



Ryegrass as a Green Manure Crop. (Hrant M. Yegian.) The lack of organic 

 matter in most of the onion fields in the Connecticut Valley is one of the serious 

 problems facing the growers. In order to demonstrate that it is practicable to 

 grow green manure crops after the set onions have been harvested and to show 

 their relative value, domestic ryegrass, winter rye, oats, and Japanese millet 

 were seeded on an onion field in Sunderland, Massachusetts, on July 27, 1943, 

 after the onion crop had been harvested. 



Domestic ryegrass was by far the best green manure crop because it made a 

 rapid top growth and had a very extensive root system. Winter rye was second 

 best. 



A small section of ryegrass was left unplowed in the fall. The spring was late; 

 consequently plowing of this strip was delayed, and it was not in as good a con- 

 dition at planting time as the fall-plowed section. Because of the possibilities 

 of a late spring it is, therefore, desirable to plow under green manure crops on 

 onion fields in the fall, notwithstanding the fact that fall plowing will not give as 

 good protection against soil erosion from wind or rapid run-off of rain. 



Corn Improvement Program. (Hrant M. Yegian.) Ninety-one single crosses 

 involving all possible combinations of fourteen inbreds were tested at this sta- 

 tion, in cooperation with the corn breeding program at the Connecticut Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station under the direction of Dr. D. F. Jones, in order to 

 determine the most valuable inbreds and to predict the most effective double 

 cross combinations for this area. 



An early hybrid produced by the double cross of four inbred lines, Wisconsin 

 (CC4 X CCS) X Quebec (83 x 9), gave very satisfactory yields in 1942 and 1943. 

 More extensive tests are being made in 1944. 



A number of hybrids were tested for their general adaptability and yield, and 

 the following are recommended on the basis of previous trials as well as the 

 results obtained in 1943. 



Very early hybrids for grain: Maine B, Wisconsin 240 and 255. 

 Early hybrids: Minnesota 800, 700, and 702. 



Medium early hybrids: Wisconsin 355, Minnesota 602, and Cornell 29-3. 

 Late hybrids: Ohio M-15, DeKalb 201, Iowa 939, Ohio K24 and W46. 

 Silage corn, in the order of their relative maturity, beginning with the 

 earliest: Cornell 29-3, Wood V20, Iowa 939, N.J. No. 2, Indiana 

 608A, U.S. 44, U.S. 13, Ohio C 92, and Wood hybrid yellow sweep- 

 stakes S. M. 



