DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 



731 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Early Red and Yellow Globe Danvers are the two best maturing varieties from seed 

 planted in the field. 



It would. seem, therefore, that the practice of starting the onion seed in flats and 

 transplanting the plants outside early is the only satisfactory method of onion culture 

 for this country. The plants are easily raised and a great number can be grown in a 

 small flat. The expense of transplanting is not much greater than the expense of 

 thinning, and the plants can be transplanted with less loss than any of the vegetable 

 plants. It should be remembered, however, that good thrifty plants stand transplant- 

 ing much better than small spindling ones, and that good plants to start with can be 

 secured only by starting the seed early. The plants should be ready for setting out as 

 early as the ground can be worked so that the plants can get well established iCarly in 

 the spring. The following table gives the yield of four varieties grown during the 

 past season from transplanted plants started as indicated above. The Prizetaker is 

 one of the best onions for growing in this way. The plots were each one row 66 feet 

 long. 



Variety. 



Well 

 matured. 



Not well 

 niaturedbut 

 marketable. 



Not 

 marketable. 



Total market- 

 able per acre. 



Extra Early Red 



Yellow Globe Danvers. 

 Large Red Wethersfield 

 Mammoth Prize Taker. 



lb. 



38 

 28 

 28 

 19 



oz. 



8 

 8 

 8' 

 4 



lb. 



7 



15 

 16 

 33 



oz. 



8 



8 



12 



8 



lb. 



6 

 

 4 

 



oz. 



bush. lb. 



404 

 440 

 398 

 464 



48 



4 



12 



10 



Two varieties of onions were included in a test in 1914 to determine how best to 

 handle the plants before setting in the open ground. Two lots of each were 

 transplanted into flats in the greenhouse, one inch apart. The others were not trans- 

 planted except in the open ground, and one lot was sown February 3, another Febru- 

 ary 28, and the other March 17. The following table gives information regarding this 

 test. The plants were set in the open ground on May 9. They were set in rows 15 

 inches apart and 6 inches apart in the row except the plants started February 3, which 

 were planted 1 foot" apart in the row. The crop was harvested September 25. 



Variety. 



Prize Taker 

 Prize Ta,kcr 

 Prize Taker 

 Prize Taker 

 Ailsa Craig. 

 Ailsa Craig. 

 Ailsa Craig. 

 Ailsa Craig. 



Seed 

 started. 



Feb. 3. 



" 28. 



" 28. 

 Mar. 17. 

 Feb, 3. 



" 28. 



" 28. 

 Mar. 17. 



When trans- 

 planted 

 into flats. 



Mar. 2. 

 " 30. 



Mar. 2. 

 " 30. 



Number of 

 bulbs grov>n 



94 



44 

 37 

 63 

 98 

 42 

 49 

 27 



Weight of 

 bulbs. 



lb. 



145 



44 

 26 

 33 

 142 

 36 

 30 

 27 



Average 



weight of 



bulbs. 



oz. 



24-5 



160 



110 



8-3 



23-2 



13-6 



9-7 



6-0 



Kentville. 



