Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 189, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1914 — ONION KING VISITS THE ONION FIELDS [ARTICLE]

ONION KING VISITS THE ONION FIELDS

Alfred Donnelly, Accompanied by Others, Made a Tour of Inspoction Tuesday Afternoon. Alfred Donnelly, the “onion king” of Jasper county, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. B. Forsythe and Mr. and Mrs. Vem Nowels and son, made a complete tour of the onion fields Tuesday and reports that William Kennedy, of Newland, rias the finest field of onions in the county. Will has out 9 acres and Mt. Donnelly estimates that they will produce 500 bushels to the acre. They are.not as thick as some but they are the largest in the county, Mr. Donnelly believes. Probably the heaviest field in the county is the Dr. Turfler field along the river at Burk’s bridge, where George D. Zffl -is in charge of the farm. This may turn out a larger yield per acre than Kennedy’s but the onions are not so large. Kennedy is farming T. M. Callalhan’s land. Many of. the fields at Newland were very poor, according to Mr. Donne My. The high water in the early spring prevented them from being planted on. time, especially on the lower land. The late planted onions rarely do as well as the, early ones and this year the drouth especially injured the late onions, cutting the Yield very short. Monday Mr. Donney visited Dr. Turner’s Walker township farm. He has some fine onions there. J. H. Shell is the tenant. The onions there will make 500 bushels to the acre, In. all probability. Mr. Donnelly says that he bedieves Dr. Turner will have in the neighborhood of 25,000 bushels of onions. Mr. Donnelly will not hazard a guess on the price. It is too early, he. thinks, to tell much about that It may be 40 cents and it may be a dollar. In the spring it may be more, but to, have the onions for sale in thd spring means that they must be stored, and this Is expensive. Asked about has'own onions, Alfred replied: s “Oh, mine are way back from the road.” “How are they?”' persisted the reporter. “Oh,, I had about 700 bushels of onion sets,” replied Alfred.