The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08

BERMUDA ONIONS.
They Mingle Their OdOrs with Lilies
ON the Little Islands.
ndence PHILADELPHIA. Press.

correspondence Philadelphia Press.
A tiny donkey, weighing rather less than
his negro driver, trotting complacently along
with, perhaps, wheelbarrow load of onions
on the little cart he drags, does not impress
one as a power. But many donkeys, many
drivers and many onions make different
tale-if they all pull, drive and smell to-
gether.
It's one of the good Lords mysteries how
any onions can grow in Burmuda at all.
There only about twenty square miles in
the little toy Islands altogether, of which
some hundred square miles are waste
stretches of cedar-covered hills, forty more
are desolate and sand dunes and coral rocks,
fifty are covered with forts and camps. and
lot more by villas and lawns-or SO 1T
would seem to a casual observer. The
islands impress one as much larger than
they are. because everything. beginning with
the miniature landscapes they build In
japanese gardens. The roads are from ten
to twenty feet wide instead Of from sixty to
one hundred; the fields cover from half an
area; and even a mountain covered with
cedar forest, or what looks like one, proves
twenty-foot hump in the middle. But hid
den away In the fertile valleys between the
rocks and tiny patches of onions, Easter
together here in Hamilton, freight two
steamships week during the season.
There are other things. of course-bapanas.
ers; but the lily. the onion and the potato
fill the long sheds on Front street to over
flowing during the early spring and mingle
iantic to Halifax and New York have
seen little patch of half an acre. from
which 800 boxes of lily buds were shipped
this spring. to be unpacked in New York
and surprised into opening by hot water and
a beautiful sight the field was still. with the
comparatively few lilies that had been left
to bloom: for each stalk bears many buds.
and the flowers keep blooming long after
Easter. AS for onions. each day in the sea-
son the farmers helpers. go through the
x<rsllf nr xr-ht oh how nnnI
standard size, and leaving the rest TO grow.
SO the season lasts long time.
But started TO tell about the many dom
keys pulling together.
Burmuda has its troubles with the city
commission merchants-troubles Just the
same as other farmers have A few cases Of
the billiards were still on. might command
fancy prices Of four or five dollars box.
After that there was the usual spectacle
of competing commission merchants sacri-
ficing whole cargoes for song 10 get rid of
them, so that the loss on the late shipments
was often bigger than the profit on the early
ones. There was complaint of dishonesty,
too One farmer sent to New York a con-
siderabe quantity Of choice lettuce. Instead
s1425 for freight and handling of culs.''
to toe pay avn it; s But even at that the transaction
One little island there was. without town
or church-St. Davids Isand-whose far
mers made less complaint. They had lons
against the common foe, and sent nothing
but choice stuff to market, so that a st. Da-
vid's onion had repute with people who knew
what's what, and commanded fair price
throughout the season.
The Bermuda Produce Exchange. a new
| organization, which includes not only 30 pei
| cent. of the farmers OF the islands. but bank
| ers. merchants and others interested in
| their prosperity, has just extended the St
| Dayid's system to cover all the islands. L
| has plenty OF capital: II controls practically
| the entire crop: 1t deals with five or six com
| mission merchants In the New York Produc.
/ Exchange; but these are forbidden, Fon pair
| of losing their trade. 20 cut rates agains
| each other or to sell a single box of onions
! below the prices fixed by the Bermuda ex
change These prices are neither extrava
/ giant at the beginning of tie season nor ruin
Gus at the end, but are so scaled as to guar
| antee about 81. 80 per box for the entire crop
To insure a steady demand for the onions
/ quality is looked after. A strict inspection
/ Prevents any but first-class goods goinl
| rorrh--af least. with the exchange stamp
| A few cantakerous souls, who refuse 10 joi
/ the exchange. can get about half price 70
| uninspected onions, but at This rate the
/ will soon be coa=ed into the combine wit
/ club.
ment can fall to benefit both producer<an