ONION SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION. 



83 



and Canada. A few are consigned to Havana, and some years a large 

 quantity is exported.^ 



The general problem of the local dealer in the distribution of onions 

 may be stated thus: to keep in touch with general market conditions in 

 all of the principal markets; to buy intelligently; to ship as the market 

 demands; and to keep up the standard of his product without heavy 

 losses from shrinkage. In short, he must know onions, onion growers, 

 current market conditions, transportation and storage requirements, the 

 needs of the market, and the marketing machinery available for wholesale 

 distribution. 



Storage of Onions. 



Methods of Storage. 



Onions are stored by farmers either in temporary or permanent storages. 

 Temporary storages are barns, tobacco sheds or cellars. By covering the 

 onions with hay or fodder they can easily be kept until Thanksgiving. 

 After this date very few onions remain in temporary storages. 



Only twelve permanent farm storages were found in the course of this 

 investigation. Their total capacity is approximately 35,000 bushels, and 

 in practically every instance the owners found it necessary to buy addi- 

 tional onions to fill them. Such men are in a sense local dealers or 

 speculators. In 1914 the total quantity held in both temporary and 

 permanent farm storages was about 250,000 bushels. 



The cut below shows an excellent type of storage for the farm. This 

 building follows refrigerator construction throughout, having three 4-inch 

 dead-air spaces in the side walls. The ventilators are easily worked, 

 and the storage is thus kept cool and dry. The shrinkage record of this 

 particular storage is very low, and onions have been held in it from October 

 until the end of April. 



The capacity is 5,000 bushels, and the cost including equipment is 

 approximately $1,400. The overhead charges are about four cents per 

 bushel, distributed as follows : — 



Interest on investment, $1,400 at 5 per cent., 



Insurance at $1.25 per $100, 



Taxes, $700 at $18 per $1,000, 



Repairs, 1 per cent., 



Depreciation, 4 per cent., . 



Care, etc., 



Insurance on onions at 40 cents per bushel at $1.25 per $100, 



Cost per bushel (5,000 bushels capacity) approximately, 



The cost of removing from storage is about 2.5 cents per bushel, making 

 the entire cost of storage 6.5 cents per bushel. This includes no allowance 

 for shrinkage, which in the particular storage is said to average not more 

 than 2 per cent., or approximately 100 bushels for the season. 



1 For the primary destination of onion shipments from the valley, see table of primary dis- 

 tributing points for Connecticut Valley onions, p. 103. 



