INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 



Next to potatoes and green corn the onion crop has the largest value 

 of any vegetable crop in Massachusetts, the last State census giving this 

 crop an annual value of S662,000. The two leading counties in onion 

 production as with tobacco are Hampshire and Frankhn, in the order 

 named. Hampden County, the southernmost of the Connecticut River 

 counties, however, does not rank high in this crop. The distribution of 

 the onion crop over the State is much wider than with tobacco, and Essex, 

 Middlesex, .Bristol and Worcester counties all raise appreciable quan- 

 tities. The towns of Arlington and Belmont, in particular, both raise 

 considerable quantities. 



Hatfield and Sunderland are the two leading towns in onion growing 

 and are followed by Hadley, Deerfield and Whately. Probably the prin- 

 cipal reason for the preponderance of onion growing in the Connecticut 

 valley is the ease with which the land there can be" worked on account of its 

 level and comparatively stoneless nature. The crop is fairly adaptable, 

 however, and farmers who have any flat land of a muck nature would do 

 well to try onions on it in a small way. 



