3 
that he will be obliged to him if he will at once proceed to Teneriffe 
to investigate ae circumstances of the harvesting of the onion seed 
there, with a view to his subsequently visiting Bermuda to inquire into 
and repent ee nthe failure of the onion crop in that Colon 
A copy of your letter will be transmitted to the Governor of Bermuda, 
m, 
Cay i 
EDWARD WINGFIELD. 
Report by Mr. ARTHUR SHIPLEY on the ONION Crop in the 
Canary ISLANDS 
Having been ote] by Mr. Secretar y Stanhope to proceed to 
Teneriffe to investi te the spares nees the harvesting of the 
onion seed there, I left England on the 20th August 1886, and pro- 
ceeded to Teneriffe vid Madeira. T landed at Santa Cruz on the 28th 
the 
then crossed over to Grand Canary, and having spent a few days ‘there 
returned to Teneriffe and spent a fortnight at Orotava on the north side 
of the island; amongst other places I "visited Tejina and spent some 
time with the onion farmer who supplies a great part of the seed of 
the red variety of onion for export. I left Santa Cruz for England on 
the 27th of September, and landed at Plymouth on the 2nd o 
October. 
I am mck indebted for information and assistance to the following 
gentlemen :—Her Majesty’s Consul Mr. Dupuis, Mr. Charles and 
Mr. Hugh Hamilton; Dr. Victor Perez and Mr. George Perez; 
Mr. Reid, Her Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Orotava; and to Herr Wild- 
pret, Curator of the Botanical ccs at Orotava ; and Mr. Mackay, 
United States Consul at Santa Cru 
re are two varieties of onion grown in the Canary Islands, the ame of 
white and the red. These varieties are not permanent, but pass into mions., 
one another under altered conditions of the soil, &c. The whit 
variety is chiefly grown in the Island of Palma and on the south side 
of Teneriffe, in the neighbourhood of Santa Cruz. rown in 
Teneriffe gradua ally lose their character, become reddish in colour, and 
after three years cultivation are indistinguishable from the red variety. 
Those, however, grown in the island of Palma maintain their character 
unchanged, hence the seed for export is obtained from the latter island. 
variety is grown on the north side of Teneriffe, chiefly in the 
neighbourhood of Tej 
onions are gro meN om seed which is scatlered oe aan during Method of 
the month of Octo ber The seedlings are transplanted into new beds Cultivation. 
emb fore placing i es 
Sa 
“6 
6° 


leaves is cut off for about one or two inches. The young plants are 
planted in rows at intervals of about eight inches. The harvesting of 
the onions commences este the 10th of pril and continues through 
da 
for sale. Only one gi a yea 
The soil is very light, and the longing very shallow. The fields Soil. 
are prepared by clearing a p of waste of rocks, stones, &c., an 
then spreading a thin layer of e on the floor of volcanic rock, 
a 52170. Wt, 12305. a2 
e 
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