81 



Haydn Brown, Sherman Nelson, Mrs. David Warren — 



Committee. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ROOT CROPS. 



To the Members of the Essex Agricultural Society: 



The Committee selected to examine root crops entered 

 for premium, have the pleasure of submitting the follow- 

 ing report : 



The number of ^entries this year was less than usual, 

 being eight, viz.: 



John H. George, Methuen, onions ; Walter Smith, Me- 

 thuen, potatoes and cabbage; Crystal Lake Farm, Haver- 

 hill, J. J. Marsh, proprietor ; E. C. Little, superinten- 

 dent, mangolds and onions ; Kent & Marsh, Newbury- 

 port, onions; Dr. J. 0. McAllister, Lawrence, cabbage; 

 Maurice H. Conner, West Newbury, cabbage. The Com- 

 mittee desire to thank each competitor whom they had 

 occasion to visit, for the cordial manner in which they 

 were received. 



Our first visit was made Sept. 6, at the field of onions 

 entered by Mr. John H. George, Methuen. At the time 

 of our visit the onions had not been pulled, but nearly 

 every onion in the field was thoroughly ripened down, 

 ready for market. 



The onions were grown upon a peat meadow — the soil 

 seeming to be particularly adapted to that crop. 



Mr. George evidently believes in producing the largest 

 possible crop, on a given area. The rows were a little 

 less than twelve inches apart, and the onions were grown 

 so closely together, that they were literally piled one 

 above another. We noticed several places where from 

 thirteen to sixteen onions of marketable size, were pro- 

 duced upon one foot of the row. The onions when 

 pulled, are not allowed to remain in the field, exposed to 



