Connecticut western news., 1883-09-05
ORANGE COUNTY ONIONS.
Rich Harvest From n Reclaimed BOs
A letter from Chester, Orange county

A letter from Chester, Orange county, N. Y., says:
 The Erie Railroad passes through the finest parts of Orange county-that rich agricultural region whence milk and gilt-edged butter were wont to come in days of yore. From the thriving little town of Monroe on the east to the con- servative hamlet of Howells on the west, the eye of the traveler- over tho EIie IS greeted with a constant succession of meadow land waving in luxuriant green, fields of tasselled corn, rank potato vines and orchards of apples, pears, peaches, and other fruits. At frequent intervals herds of cattle pasturing in deep after math are seen, among them the belted Dutch, Ayrshire, and Jersey. The farm-houses are neatly painted, with large barns, giving evidence of the general prosperity of the owners. The roads are fine, and the "turn-outs" hand some.
 But there is one section of this county which, at this season, attracts the atten- tion of the traveller through the sense of the olfactories as we'll as the eye. It is the Chester onion meadows. Here 700 acres of land, lying on both sides of the Erie Railroad, over half of which is used in growing onions. The land is level, and stretches far away in the valley. At not very remote day this land was covered with water-a small inland lake. Later it became bog-meadow, covered with almost useless wild hay. For years the owners of this land were ready to sell it at almost any price. It was not supposed that any crop could be profta- bly cultivated thereon, and no attempt | was made to do so.
 A quarter of a century ago MT. Will liam Conklin, the owner of large tract of the meadows, attempted to grow onions in small patch. The venture proved so successful that he gradually increased the acreage year after year. In time the few other owners of this wild land followed the example of MT. | Conklin; the onion crop began to grow profitable; the land became more valu- able and found ready purchasers at con- stantly increasing prices; and tod ay there is no farm land in Orange county worth as much as these same Chester onion meadows, which not many years ago were considered almost valueless.
 Of these FOG. acres, over $50 are usec exclusively in the cultivation of onions The ground is black soil and very rich but it is found to do best by mixing witt it upland earth, coal ashes and manure The crop this year will be veFy large the season having been favorable one An average yield is 15O barrels to tht acre, and the yield this year will proba bly be 200 barrels. This will give { total of 7O,OOO barrels.
 It is expected that the price will range from fifty cents to $3 per barrel, with al average of $1. 50 per barrel, making tho total value of the crop $1O5, ,OOO-a valu able $50 acres of farming land, it mus be admitted. At present the price o native onions is, low. This is said to b. in consequence of the shipping to tn market some time ago of green onions that is, those which had not matured and which do not look we'll in the market The onions are now looking well, an' these meadows will in a few week be covered with busy workers, hurriedl, gathering the odoriferous crop, the seen of which now salutes all who come with in half mile of the fields.