SOME PHASES OF ONION CULTURE. 459 



The loss in production from the best of old seed will be 

 greater than the higher cost of good seed, no matter how thickly 

 the poor seed may be sown, for not only will the germination 

 percentage be below, but many of the germinating seeds will 

 never get up vitality enough to produce a plant. 



Again the seed may be from poorly selected bulbs. In al- 

 most any onion field all the various types or shapes may be 

 found. Seed of a globe variety may produce globular, flattened, 

 bottle-shaped scullions or doubles, and off colored specimens. 



Field of crossed onions at University Farm. 



This decreases yield and also lowers the quality of the crop. 

 The matter of scullions (other than the fact that they are not an 

 A No. 1 market onion) is not of considerable importance, since 

 they usually run under 10% and because of poor quality do not 

 perpetuate themselves to any great degree. Under Professor 

 Wellington, at the Experiment Station, selection experiments are 

 under way that are giving very interesting results. Probably 

 after another season they will be ready for publication. 



Because of the risk taken in purchasing seed at large, many 

 growers prefer raising their own seed. When selecting bulbs 

 to save for seed, choose for color, shape and size. From one 

 bushel of bulbs three or more pounds of seed should be gathered. 

 There are certain characteristics of onions that apply in gen- 

 eral: for instance, large onions are usually poor keepers; the 

 thicker the outside skin the better the shipping quality; flat 



