69 



having been stopped by blig-ht the month previous. This 

 blight has prevailed in all sections of the County this 

 year and has reduced the yield of premium crops as well 

 as others. Mr. George's crop was nothing exceptional 

 and would not have measured up as well as it did, if the 

 rows liad not been placed ten inches apart. Mr. George 

 has demonstrated that on fertile land the yield can be 

 increased by placing the rows ten inches apart, but on the 

 average onion bed soil we consider twelve inches near 

 enough. Mr. George's crop of potatoes also suffered from 

 blight and the heavy stalks and number of tubers set 

 showed that the yield would have been twice what it was, 

 if they had not blighted. We dug sample hills and were 

 glad to note the painstaking manner in which the experi- 

 ments with fertilizer and seed were conducted. 



We were met at Mr. George's farm by Mr. Russell and 

 taken to his farm on the north bank of the Merrimac 

 river where we found thirty acres devoted to market gar- 

 den crops. Eleven acres were in celery and we never saw 

 a finer field. Celery raising is on the increase in Essex 

 County and we suggest that it be added to the list of crops 

 in the premium list next year. 



The crops of beets and parsnips were growing at the 

 time of our visit. There were no vacant places and not a 

 weed was in sight. They were just the right size for mar- 

 ket purposes and showed that Mr. Russell is an expert in 

 the production of choice vegetables. 



Part of the cabbages had been marketed but what 

 remained in the field gave evidence of the excellence of 

 the crop. Mr. Russell conducts his farm as carefully as a 

 manufacturer does his business and was able to tell us 

 how much of each crop had been sold and what it had 

 brouglit. 



Sept. 21st your committee inspected an onion crop 

 belonging to W. L. Hill at the Ship Rock Piggery, Pea- 



