MARKETING ONIONS 
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very heavy. In the spring of 1921, the freight charges on 395 cars 
of Texas onions before they reached the receiver's hands amounted 
to $462 per car, approximately half (46.91 per cent) of the whole- 
sale price. The average haul was 2.000 miles. Of the 395 cars, 
124 were shipped by boat from Galveston to New York. 
On 10 cars of California onions handled in Chicago in the spring 
of 1921 the freight averaged $401 per car. or 57 per cent of the 
wholesale price. In many cases during the season the onions were 
not able to bear the freight charge. The returns to the grower were 
so small that he was operating at a loss. 
The problem of car supply is sometimes serious in the movement 
of the early crop. Favorable weather matures the onions so quickly 
that the marketing season becomes a feverish scramble to obtain 
Fig. 14. — Shipping-point inspection of domestic Bermudas, inspector at work 
cars and get the onions loaded and away. Consequently car shortage 
results and there is the difficult task of justly allotting empty cars to 
the numerous shippers. 
The high railroad freight charges and the increased length of 
time in transit by rail have encouraged shipment by water from 
Galveston to Xew York City since 1921 to the extent of 10 to 15 
per cent of the annual movement from Texas. On the whole, boat 
shipment has been successful. The time is not much longer than by 
rail and the freight charges are much less. 
LATE ONIONS 
Compared with many other vegetables, late onions are not difficult 
to ship by rail. Occasionally the early fall loadings are liable to 
injury by heat. Shipments after November 1 are usually in pro- 
23624°— 25 4 
