458 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



be planted the regular twelve-inch distance or two twelve-inch 

 and then an eighteen-inch row. This gives three rows of onions 

 and then an eighteen-inch space. In this space spinach or lettuce 

 may be planted and harvested without injuring the onions, or 

 this empty row is often used to grow celery plants. After the 

 spinach or lettuce comes out, the empty row is cultivated clean 

 until the onion leaves first begin to fall, usually from June 20th 

 to July 10th. Beans may then be planted there, or celery plants 

 set out. By the time the onions are pulled the beans or celery 

 are well started in rows about three and one-half feet apart. 

 Under a very favorable season the beans may be through yield- 

 ing in time to get in a crop of fall spinach. Some growers have 

 tried planting late beets between the rows of onions, planting 

 two rows of beets and then leaving a row to cure the onions in. 

 Under the most intensive systems very heavy applications of 

 manure must be made annually. Under field conditions, where 

 a large acreage is grown, intercropping methods are not practical, 

 but with the market gardener intercropping methods show profit- 

 able results. 



The seed is one of the most important factors in the grow- 

 ing of onions. The grower is indeed fortunate who (regardless 

 of price) has purchased really first class seed. Where to obtain 

 the best seed is a question which puzzles every grower. Nearly 

 every seed catalog will claim that the seed it advertises is the 

 best, or at least as good as any, but every year many growers 

 suffer considerable loss because of poor quality seed. There are 

 many seed houses that have every good intention of putting 

 out first class seed, but they have nearly as much trouble finding 

 good seed to sell to the growers as the growers have in finding 

 a seed house that has good seed. There are two ways that 

 losses may occur because of poor seed : First, the seed may be 

 too old; second, the seed may have come from poorly selected 

 bulbs. Onion seed does not retain its vitality. The Connecticut 

 station has done much experimenting along this line and the re- 

 sults are tabulated as follows : 



California Grown Seed. No. Germination 



samples, per cent 

 average. 



Seed stated to be less than one year old 400 88.18 



Seed stated to be between 1 and 2 years old . . 220 77.46 

 Seed stated to be between 2 and 3 years old . . 2,023 57.34 

 Seed stated to be between 3 and 4 years old . . 1 10.00 



