94: DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 



III. Notes on Onions. — Fifty-threenamed varieties of onions were gro wed 

 in the College garden this year. All the American black-seed varieties and 

 all offered by F. & A. Dickson and Sons of Chester, England, were grown. 

 In addition we grew potato onions, garlic, Welsh onion, etc. One of the 

 most obvious and curious features connected with this experiment was the 

 very tardy ripening of nearly all the varieties of England. There was a dif- 

 ference of two or three weeks, or even more, in the periods of ripening 

 between some varieties grown from American seeds and the same grown from 

 English seeds. This difference was especially noticeable in the case of 

 the Yellow Danvers and Eed Wethersfields, both varieties of American 

 origin. 



It is impossible to draw definite conclusions from one year's experience. 

 The following synopsis is therefore but a preliminary and provisional one. 

 There is no attempt made in it to describe or characterize varieties. The 

 notes are mostly of a general nature, though taken directly from the onions 

 themselves. The season has been so very dry that many varieties have, no 

 doubt, not been characteristic. There are no permanent characters which 

 can be used with much satisfaction in the construction of a classification of 

 common onions. 



For market sorts we were most pleased with Eed Wethersfield (No. 27 of 

 the following synopsis). Yellow D mvers (33), Early Yellow Cracker (37), 

 Silver King (4), and Giant Rocca (13). For house use the following appeared 

 to be the best: Extra Early Red (25), Early Pearl (5), Yellow Strasburg 

 (31), Queen (9), Yellow Danvers (33). As a rule, the English sorts appear 

 to possess no value for this country. 



Preliminaky Synopsis of Onions and some of theie Allies: 



A. Leaves flat or canaliculate, not liollow. 



1. Garlic, Allium Sativum Linn. — One of the most pungent of the 

 onion tribe. The plant rarely seeds in cultivation, and is therefore 

 exclusively propagated by the small bulbs of which the main bulb is 

 composed. It is propagated the same as set onions. It matures in early 

 September here, and is stored and handled the same as onions. — From 

 D. M. Ferry & Co. 



2. Leek, Allium Porrum Linn. Much prejudice exists in this country 



concerning this plant, probably from associating it with the unsavory 

 wild leek of new pastures and woods. It bears no resemblance to this 

 wild plant, however, in odor or flavor. In fact, the leek is milder than 

 most onions. It is a very agreeable seasoning in soups and other dishes. 

 It demands more attention from those who enjoy good vegetables. For 

 ordinary purposes its culture is about the same as that of the black seed 

 onions. It matures very late in the fall, and may be allowed to stand 

 until after severe frosts become common. The plant produces scarcely 

 any distinct bulb. 



B. Leaves more or less cylindrical, hollow. 



3. Chives or Gives, Allium Schcenoprasum Linn. — This plant is a peren- 

 nial, growing in thick tufts, and attaining a height of six or ten inches.^ 

 Although it flowers here profusely it rarely produces seeds, and is there- 

 fore propagated by divisions of the tufts. The leaves are used for sea- 

 soning various dishes, and they may be cut at almost any time during 

 the year. Chives may be planted along a fence or path, where it will 

 form an edging, and be out of the way of the plow. It grows wild on 



