58 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 169. 



total onion acreage in Franklin and Hampshire counties was about 15,^ 

 as compared with 4,160 in 1915. 



These maps show the gradual shifting of the onion-producing area from 

 the eastern part of the State to the valtey of the Connecticut River. The 

 rapid development of the industry between 1885 and 1895 was a forecast 

 of future commercial onion growing in Massachusetts. 



The growth of the industry in the valley is shown by the diagram below. 



ONION flCREftGE INTHE CONNECTICUT Vfl L L E y 



t6Q5 I f i i 



•^ 



t ^oo 



fc77 



_i_g_LQ_ 



^soo 



_L_g-u_ 



.^ OOP 



1 ^i 2 



^ :^oo 



< *? 1-^ 



Soo<r> 



1 '?M 



a ?A.q 



1 ^1^? 



41 feO 



Fig. 11. — Onion acreage in the Connecticut Valley. This chart shows the development of 

 the onion acreage in the Connecticut Valley over a period of years. 



' The report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth for 1855 gives the following data on the 

 onion industry in Massachusetts: — 



For Hampshire and Franklin counties the distribution by towns was as follows: • 



Amherst, 



Hadley, 



Middlefield, . 



Pelham, 



South Hadley, 



Ware, 



Ashfield, 



Acres. 

 . 1 



Conway, 



Deerfield, 



Gill, 



Greenfield, 



Monroe, 



Montague, 



Northfield, 



Acres. 



1 

 1 

 M 



